CDN FILE PHOTO 2017
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Not taking any chances, the Central Command (Centcomm) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will also be validating the travel advisory the Japanese government released recently.
But in the meantime, they assured the public that the Visayas region remained safe from any possible threats.
“As far as Visayas Command is concerned, we have not received any official report regarding this matter. Yet, we will treat this information important and will validate this travel advisory issued by the Japanese government to its citizens in Southeast Asia,” the Centcomm said in a statement.
Centcomm also urged the public to report to authorities any threats for validation at the same time avoid sharing unverified information to prevent panic.
“Our Commander, Major General Pio Diñoso III encourages everyone to be our partners in making our communities safe. If you receive information about the threat, please relay it to our forces on the ground for validation. Let us not spread unverified information that will cause panic to the public, after all, security is a shared responsibility,” they said.
“Visayas Command assures everyone that it will act accordingly once the threat is proven accurate. Our main priority has always been the safety and security of the people and our communities,” they added.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry on Monday (Sept. 13) warned its citizens of “increased risks such as suicide bombings” in Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Myanmar.
It urged its citizens in these countries to stay away from crowds and religious facilities.
Other countries mentioned seemed to have no knowledge of the potential threat.
Likewise, the AFP on Tuesday, said it has no report on terror threats in the Philippines related to warnings of possible attacks on some Southeast Asian countries.
AFP spokesperson Col. Ramon Zagala said that the threat level in the Philippines based on the military’s latest review was “moderate.”
“As of now, we have not received any report. We constantly validate all reports on security matters and it is a continuous process,” he said in a statement.
Local police in Cebu are also doing their part to validate the advisory issued by the Japanese government. / with reports from INQUIRER.net
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