AFP taking ISIS threat on Miss Universe Pageant 'seriously'
The military is taking "seriously" the supposed ISIS threat to bomb the Miss Universe Pageant in the Philippines next year, even as it maintained that the notorious terrorist group has yet to gain a foothold in the country.
"As in any threats, whether verified or not, it behooves the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines)—in coordination with the PNP (Philippine National Police) and other counterpart agencies—to take appropriate measures to counter the threats," said AFP public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo in a statement Friday.
The threat was bared through a video posted Monday calling on ISIS supporters in the Philippines to manufacture bomb for the pageant and to target "foreigners whose nations have taken part in the ongoing campaign against ISIS."
Arevalo said they are still verifying the authenticity of the video, which caught the attention of US-based intelligence group SITE Intel Group, which tracks online terrorist activities.
"We are yet to establish the authenticity and, possibly, the source of the video that issued the threat," he said. "That notwithstanding, we are taking the threat seriously."
Arevalo reiterated the military's earlier claim that there is no ISIS in the Philippines.
"We reiterate that there is no ISIS in the Philippines. What we have are groups claiming affiliations with ISIS in their bid to draw funds. It is not farfetched for ISIS to claim to have cells in the Philippines to show global membeship," he said.
However, it urged Filipinos to remain vigilant as they continue to take appropriate measures to counter the threats.
Despite the threat, Department of Tourism insisted that the country would be ready to hold the Miss Universe pageant next year. —Jessica Bartolome/KBK, GMA News
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