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MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino said on Sunday that authorities had discovered a plot by a terrorist group to disrupt a huge religious procession in Manila, and warned that members had not been arrested.
Aquino said police had been tracking the group, which he did not identify, that was allegedly planning to sow terror during the feast of the Black Nazarene on Monday, which annually gathers hundreds of thousands of devotees.
He did not elaborate on the nature of the threat, but said "there is a possibility of it" when asked if the plot involved bomb attacks.
"The sad reality of the world today is that terrorists want to disrupt the ability of the people to live their lives in the way they want to, including the freedom to worship and engage in community activities," Aquino said in a surprise news briefing.
"Your government will do what it has to do to ensure the safety and security of the public."
He did not identify the alleged plotters, but said they belonged to a local group whose links to foreign organisations were still being probed.
"There have been reports that they have been spotted in the NCR (National Capital Region) and there have been ongoing police operations to apprehend the same," Aquino said.
"Disruption activities have been conducted precisely to forestall any possibility of a terrorist plot."
National police chief Nicanor Bartolome said he put Manila's 15,000-strong force on full alert to thwart any attacks by guarding the procession route, saying attendees should avoid bringing children and the elderly.
"Those with no important business in these areas are advised to postpone their trips for another day," Bartolome said.
Aquino's announcement came three days after the US government retained the Philippines in a list of countries labelled as "dangerous and unstable" in a fresh travel advisory for its citizens.
The advisory "reflects continuing threats due to terrorist and insurgent activities," the US advisory said.
Various armed groups operate in the Philippines, but among the most active has been the Abu Sayyaf, a group of Islamic militants founded in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network.
The Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for some of the country's worst attacks, including a string of high profile kidnappings and the bombing of a passenger ferry that left over 100 dead on Manila Bay.
The government and military have frequently said the group was a spent force after its top leaders were killed and captured with US help over the past decade, but security experts say it remains capable of mounting attacks.
Aquino did not say the alleged terrorist plot was linked to the Abu Sayyaf.
The annual Black Nazarene procession takes place around downtown Manila, during which barefoot devotees parade an ebony icon of Jesus Christ.
"We're taking the necessary precautions especially given the nature of the procession for the Black Nazarene which involves quite a huge number of people, which makes it a very tempting terrorist (target))," Aquino said.
Security forces first heard of the supposed plot a few months ago, but he said the group had few capabilities to carry out an attack at that time.
"Unfortunately, lately we have been getting information to believe there is a heightened risk," Aquino said.
"The possibility prompts us to warn you of the risk in attending the procession."
- AFP/ck
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