NCRPO: AFP-MILF conflict won't spill over to Metro

MANILA, Philippines - The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) allayed fears yesterday that the fighting between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) may spill over to Metro Manila.

NCRPO officer-in-charge Chief Superintendent Miguel Laurel said they received no intelligence reports on the presence of MILF forces in the metropolis. “The government is doing everything to contain the fighting in Basilan and Zamboanga Sibugay,” he said.

At least 19 soldiers were killed when fighting broke out between the government forces and the MILF in Basilan early this month. The fighting spilled over to Zamboanga Sibugay where the government and the MILF are still locked in sporadic encounters.

Laurel advised the public to report to the nearest police station the presence of “suspicious looking” people in their neighborhood, but added that “there’s no need to panic.”