MANILA – The Department of National Defense (DND) is currently collaborating with Japan to learn more about its warning on possible terror attacks in six Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in an online press briefing on Thursday that they have yet to receive a response from Japan’s defense attaché at its embassy in Manila about their request for information on the situation.
“Kailangan malaman natin yung mga details ng sinasabi niyang attack kasi, hindi naman tayo manghuhula kung anong ibig sabihin nyang tinatawag na attack, kung ano ang basehan nyan, saan galing yung report, kailangan nangyari yung report, sino ang kumuha, so napakaraming tanong ang dapat masagot nyan ng Japan (We need to get the details of the attack they are saying, we cannot just guess on what attack they are saying, what is their basis, and where they did they get the report, and when it happened, who took it, so we have a lot of questions which only Japan can answer),” he added.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry issued a warning earlier this week to its citizens in Southeast Asia, specifically the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Myanmar, about the possibility of terror attacks.
Lorenzana claimed that he was surprised at Tokyo’s warning, saying that the Philippines had more experience with terrorist attacks than Japan.
Meanwhile, he noted that soldiers are continually on the lookout for terror attacks, citing the Philippines’ long history of fighting terrorists since the 1990s.
According to Lorenzana, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have not seen any signs of an impending terror attack.
He also stated that the AFP has enhanced its surveillance and intelligence collecting efforts against terrorist groups operating in the country.
“Alam naman natin kung nasaan sila, dyan sa Basilan, Jolo, BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) yung BARMM region na yan, nandyan yung mga na pwedeng gumawa ng terror act, so yung lang wala naman tayong nakikitang ikakabahala natin, under control naman, yung pulis ay ganun din ang sinasabi wala naman silang nakikitang imminent attack dito sa atin. (We know where they are in hiding in Basilan, Jolo, and the BARMM. In the BARMM region, groups that could conduct terrorists are known to be there but we are still to see any activity that could cause concern. They are under control even the police are saying that they are still to detect any imminent attack),” Lorenzana said.
He was referring to Abu Sayyaf, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and Jemaah Islamiyah members.
Lorenzana stated that the intelligence community has yet to discover the presence of foreign terrorists in the country.
