Even Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo is confused with the terror level alert 3 raised recently by law enforcement authorities.
“We do not just raise a terror alert. Whatever is its basis, I think the people should know so that it would not cause undue fear,” Robredo told reporters last Friday in Pasay City.
Robredo, chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), said that the declaration of terror alert should not be taken lightly.
“If there is a terror alert, many lives are at stake. The public has the right to be informed,” she said.
Earlier, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa announced that the country has been placed under terror alert following the foiled bombing near the United States embassy in Manila.
The PNP told the public to expect tighter security measures and to be vigilant, adding that a possible deadly terrorist attack will happen within a short period time.
But after his announcement, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. sought to clarify that the entire country is not placed under terror alert level 3.
Three provinces—Davao, Cotabato and Zamboanga — are the areas only covered by the terror alert while it is still being validated if Metro Manila will be included, according to Esperon.
Robredo asked the PNP and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to clearly explain their conflicting statements.
“The PNP said there’s a threat but the AFP said there’s none. I think whoever is saying that there is, we deserve to know the basis,” she said.
Meanwhile, Robredo expressed gratitude that Malacañang issued a clarification after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to kill human rights activists should the drug problem worsen.
Robredo said it would be a cause of concern if Duterte’s statement was not clarified.
“When it (threat) was first said, it is alarming but Malacañang clarified that the President didn’t mean it the way it sounded like,” she said.
The post Robredo Seeks Clarification on Terror Alert Declaration appeared first on Manila Bulletin.
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