Police: No terror threat to disrupt
Traslacion
MANILA, Philippines — Three days before the
Traslacion or the procession of the Black Nazarene, two persons said to be
connected to the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were apprehended in
Manila on Sunday.
Manila Police District (MPD) director Brig.
Gen. Bernabe Balba, however, said they have not monitored any terror threat to
disrupt the celebration of the feast of the Black Nazarene on Thursday, which
draws thousands of Catholic devotees.
Arrested were alleged BIFF members Remedios
Habin, 52, and Alvin Gadin, 32.
Footage from closed-circuit television
(CCTV) in Barangay 664-A showed a white van emerging from an alley along United
Nations Avenue and blocking the path of a silver Toyota Fortuner (NZO-697) at
past 2 p.m.
Witnesses said several persons armed with
long firearms alighted from the van, fired shots at the Fortuner and dragged
the passengers to the van before speeding away.
The incident caused a commotion and traffic
jams in the area. After several minutes, members of the MPD Station 5 arrived
at the scene.
At around 5:30 p.m., a tow truck pulled the
Fortuner. Two hours later, police returned to the site and processed the
vehicle.
A police official said improvised explosive
devices were recovered in the vehicle.
A barangay personnel manning the CCTV said
armed men went to the barangay hall after the incident and requested that the
footage be erased.
Balba said the incident was a legitimate
operation conducted by the National Capital Region Police Office Special
Operations Unit.
He said the suspects had been under police
surveillance.
“Their arrest was not in any way related to
a terror plot during the feast of the Black Nazarene,” Balba told The STAR.
Asked if there were lapses on the
processing of the suspects’ vehicle, which took more than six hours, Balba said
the scene of the crime operatives initially wanted to bring the vehicle to the
MPD Station 5 headquarters in Rizal Park.
“They brought it back to UN Avenue when
they saw that the area was crowded with people conducting preparations for the
pahalik and the Traslacion,” he said.
Classes, gov’t work suspended
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno yesterday ordered
the suspension of classes in all levels on Thursday as part of the feast of the
Black Nazarene.
Moreno also suspended work in government
offices except those involved in maintaining peace and order, public services,
traffic enforcement, disaster risk reduction and management and well as
sanitation.
The suspension of work in private companies
is up to the discretion of their management, he said.
Road closures
The Traffic Enforcement Unit of the MPD
will implement road closures and a traffic rerouting scheme on Thursday.
Independence Road, which is one of the main
roads of Quirino Grandstand where the pahalik will be held, will be closed to
traffic.
The procession will start from the Quirino
Grandstand back to the Quiapo Church, the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene.
Starting at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, the
following roads will be closed: southbound lane of Bonifacio Drive from Anda
Circle to Katigbak Drive, north and southbound lanes of Roxas Boulevard from
Katigbak to UN Avenue, P. Burgos from Roxas Boulevard to Jones Bridge, Quezon
Bridge, and MacArthur Bridge, north and southbound lanes of Ma. Orosa from TM
Kalaw to P. Burgos.
At exactly 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, Taft
Avenue from Ayala Boulevard leading to the Quezon and MacArthur Bridges will be
closed.
Also affected are the north and southbound
lanes of Taft Avenue from TM Kalaw to Ayala Boulevard, San Marcelino from NA
Lopez street to UN Avenue, Romualdez from UN Avenue to NA Lopez street, P.
Casal from Carlos Palanca to San Rafael, Plaza Lacson to Quiapo Ilalim,
southbound lane of Quezon Boulevard from Fugoso to Quezon Bridge and the
westbound lane of España Boulevard from P. Campa to Lerma street.
.
.
Source: The Philippine Star– 07 January
2020
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