MANILA, Philippines — At least 5,000 police officers will be deployed in Metro Manila during the Holy Week, an official said yesterday.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Oscar Albayalde said the entire Metro Manila remains on full alert after suspected terrorists were arrested in Manila while allegedly seeking refuge from martial law in Mindanao.
“That’s the main reason why we never lowered full alert status in Metro Manila, unlike in other regions,” he said. “We don’t want any terrorist incident to happen in Metro Manila.”
According to earlier reports, some members of the Islamic State-inspired Maute group managed to slip out of Marawi City before its liberation. Some have gone into hiding while those who remain in Lanao del Sur have started to regroup and retrain, reports said.
Police arrested Abdul Nasser Lomondot, an alleged sub-leader of the Maute group, in Tondo, Manila over the weekend. He told police he has been in Manila since January.