DILG received info on bombing threat at Luneta, People Power Monument

The Department of the Interior and Local Government received intelligence information that a terrorist group was planning to have a bomb go off at either the Luneta or on EDSA during the September 21 rallies against corruption, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said on Monday.

At a news briefing in Malacañang, Remulla said the authorities also anticipated that certain parties would instigate violence at the EDSA People Power Monument.

"The threat of the terrorist was more of a bomb that would go off in Luneta or in the People Power Monument," Remulla said.

''But with the vigilance of our PNP to look at the situation, because we had 400 policemen on the ground dressed as plain clothes to see what is going on and to assess, and the vigilance paid off and none of it transpired,'' he added.

''Safe to say, we are still investigating according to our intelligence report, and we will come out with a report pretty soon,'' Remulla said. 

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., for his part, said these threats are continuously being assessed. 

''We have different threat groups – we have the communist terrorist group; we have the local terrorist group, lalo na kung may spill over from Mindanao going here, especially we have elections in Mindanao; we have the Islamic terrorist group,'' Nartatez said.

''We have the BIFF, the DI/Hassan, DI/Maute and other threats like, for example, our situation in the West Philippine Sea,'' he added. 

As regards the threat on EDSA, Remilla said, "Our biggest fear that did not happen was if someone would incite violence during the People Power Monument rally because the intent of the people there was peaceful. The intent of the people there was to hear their grievances."

''The President encouraged them to go and heeded their message. He is listening to them. Alam naman niya, nakikinig naman siya eh at alam niya na papunta roon," Remulla said.

(He knows, he listens, and he knows that they will go there).

"Our biggest fear was that there would be an instigation there. Buti na lang sa Mendiola nangyari at mas nako-contain namin iyong situation," he added.

(It's better that it happened in Mendiola, so we easily contained the situation.) –NB, GMA Integrated News