Security heightened in cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro
(Eagle News) — The Philippine military advised the public to report to the government any “suspicious individuals” or activities that they will observe in their areas, especially in the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro after concerns were raised that some Maute members may have slipped out of Marawi City and mingled among evacuees.
Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla admitted on Friday it was possible that some Maute members could have slipped through checkpoints during the rush of evacuees out of Marawi City.
“Doon sa tanong kung may miyembro na ng Maute na nasa Iligan, hindi po natin deni-deny na maaaring may iilan na nakalusot sa patuloy na pag-alis ng mga evacuees sa Marawi, papunta sa ibang karatig lugar tulad ng Iligan at Cagayan de Oro,” Padilla said during the regular Mindanao Hour briefing.
Because of this, security had been tightened in the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, he said.
“So there is a heightened security measure that is employed or enforced now in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro to check and to watch closely any possible movements of suspicious persons so that communities remain safe,” Padilla said.
“And this is where we continue our call on the public particularly our citizens in these areas,” he said.
The AFP spokesperson said that the public could be their partners in “increasing the security posture by being vigilant, alert and watchful of their surroundings.”
He called on the public to get the attention of government authorities “whoever they see as suspicious looking characters or whatever items that are left unnecessarily in any place.”
He said they are strengthening their cooperation with local government units and with other security sector partners.
No reason for alarm
For now, he said there is no reason to be alarmed as the capacity to strike another terror attack by a few Maute members who may have slipped had been greatly reduced.
“Safe to say, I can tell you, they don’t have the capacity to do what they did in Marawi anymore. Their capabilities have been significantly degraded,” he said.
Padilla said “the call for the public to be part of the security posture (is) very important.”
“As we have been reiterating many times, providing security in every part of the Philippines is a shared responsibility among the populace, the military, the police and other security partners for that matter,” he said.
“So that’s how we are proactively engaging this.”
The government said that there are a total of 63,440 families or 309,412 individuals displaced by the Marawi fighting.
