MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Thursday assured that the military and police forces are intensifying their readiness against any possible threat to national security.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque gave the assurance following the advisory issued by the government of Japan for its residents to avoid crowded areas and religious ins six Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines.

“Nagpapasalamat po tayo sa impormasyon. Pero lalo lang po nating pinaiigting ang ating kahandaan para po harapin ang posibleng terroristic attack muli,” Roque said in a Palace briefing.

The Palace official said state forces have been on heightened alert since the Marawi siege happened in 2017.

Roque, however, urged the public to be vigilant and to immediately report any suspicious individuals and activities in their areas.

“Nakahanda naman po ang ating kapulisan at ang ating Hukbong Sandatahan at hinihiling din atin ang kooperasyon ng ating mga mamamayan. I-report po ninyo sa kapulisan kung mayroon kayong kaduda-dudang mga personalidad o di naman kaya mga kadudang mga bagay-bagay lalo na sa mga pampublikong lugar,” he said.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police earlier said they have not monitored any terror threat but are working to validate the information.

Aside from the Philippines, the warning issued by the Japanese government also covers Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Malaysia.

MANILA, Philippines – Police and military authorities on Tuesday said they have not monitored any possible terrorist threat in the country despite the warning reportedly issued by the Japanese government.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar said they have not received any report of possible terror attacks but assured that they continue to be on alert  regarding this matter.

They are also working closely with their foreign counterparts on information sharing against terrorism.

“Noon pa man ay patuloy ang aming intelligence monitoring especially after the 9/11 attack in the US and the Marawi City incident. Nananatiling maigting ang ating pakikipag-ugnayan sa ibat ibang bansa laban sa terorismo through information sharing and strategic partnership in dealing with terror groups” Eleazar said.

“Kasama dito ang pagpapalakas ng ugnayan ng inyong kapulisan sa ibat ibang komunidad at stake holders upang matiyak na hindi tayo malulusutan sa ano mang plano ng mga teroristang grupo sa ano mang lugar sa ating bansa,” he added.

Foreign media reports stated that the Foreign Ministry of Japan has issued a warning for its citizens regarding a possible terror attack in six Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines.

The Japanese ministry advised its citizens to avoid religious facilities and crowded areas in the said countries.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), for its part, said the country’s threat level remains at “moderate” based on its last review.

The military assured it is constantly validating reports relating to national security matters.

“As of now, we have not received any report. We constantly validate all reports on security matters and it is a continuous process,” AFP spokesperson Col. Ramon Zagala said in a statement.

Aside from the Philippines, the warning issued by the Japanese government also covers Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Malaysia.

International environmental organization Earth Island Institute Asia Pacific is urging the Japanese government to end dolphin hunts.

While Japan has been lauded for hosting one of the most sustainable Olympic events in history, the annual dolphin hunting, which resumes every September 1, remains a persistent concern among animal rights activists.

“Every year, about 25 fishermen go out to the sea and herd hundreds of dolphins to a cove where the “nicer” animals will be collected and sold to dolphin parks and the rest slaughtered for food,” Earth Island Institute Asia Pacific said in a statement.

The group added that in 2001, the Philippines began importing dolphins and whales from the Japanese drive fisheries for a marine park.

“Many of these animals have since died. Philippine activists have protested this importation claiming that it violates the Animal Welfare Act (RA 10631) as well as the Fisheries Administrative Orders 185 and 185-1,” the statement further said.

According to the eco-warriors, the hunts have persisted despite the fact that most Japanese do not eat dolphin meat because dolphin parks they say, pay a huge amount of money to purchase animals to be trained for shows.

Since 2020, the COVID lockdowns and restrictions have brought attendance to dolphin parks to a halt with some facilities in the Philippines already requesting the public for donations to feed their animals.

“Keeping wild animals in captivity is unsustainable and is not pandemic resilient,” said Trixie Concepcion of Earth Island Institute.

“If the dolphins had been left in the wild, they would have been able to fend for themselves and find food. Out there in the wild dolphins would not have any risk of being infected by humans they are forced to interact with in dolphin shows,” Concepcion added.

Animal rights activists are calling on the general public to shun dolphin shows which they say are fueling the Taiji hunts.

“If people stop buying tickets to dolphin shows, the killings will stop in Japan,” the group said.