[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Police on alert despite hoax memo’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MAE SINGUAY
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_image src=’http://www.panaynews.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/negros-mae-another-hoax-495×374.jpg’ attachment=’95714′ attachment_size=’portfolio’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=’yes’ font_size=’14’ appearance=’on-hover’ overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’]
“It is unfortunate that some people joke [about bombings] or making intrigues,” says Mayor Evelio Leonardia. ARCHIE REY ALIPALO/PN
[/av_image]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
BACOLOD City – Police in Negros Island Region denied the veracity of a supposed memo from another regional police unit warning about an impending Abu Sayyaf Group attack.
“There is no evidence or information that would confirm the content of the report,” Chief Inspector Dianne Grace Catedral, spokesperson for the Police Regional Office 18, said in a statement.
But while the memo turned out to be a hoax, Catedral assured they were not letting their guard down by just ignoring it.
“The [Negros police] will not take this kind of information for granted. [We are] still on full-alert status,” Catedral said as she encouraged the public to “remain calm and vigilant.”
The supposed memo from the Police Regional Office-Cordillera stated that they have received information that the Abu Sayyaf warned SM that they will bomb its mall unless it pays $15 million.
The Cordillera police have debunked the supposed memo.
On Facebook, they “[advised] the public not to be alarmed by the circulating messages in the social media regarding Abu [Sayyaf] Threat at SM.”
The Cordillera police and SM Supermalls found out in a joint investigation the memo was a hoax. “The information did not come from any SM officer,” the police said on their official Facebook page.
In a news conference on Monday, Mayor Evelio Leonardia appealed to the public not to aggravate the problem by sharing the photo of the memo.
“It is unfortunate that some people joke [about bombings] or making intrigues,” Leonardia said.
Catedral said the supposed signatory of the memo denied signing the document.
She assured that the police were “doing [their] best to make Negros Island Region a safe place to live, work and do business in.”
“Report to your nearest police station any suspicious-looking person or unattended package or baggage in places of convergence,” said Catedral. “We also ask the public to stop reposting the said memo to avoid alarm and fear.”/PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
