The Philippine National Police (PNP) branded on Saturday, Jan. 7, as fake news the circulating police memorandum purportedly placing all its its units under the highest alert status over an alleged destabilization plot in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
PNP chief information officer Col. Redrico Maranan said that while there is indeed an instruction to be on alert, it is only heightened alert status and it is for the Feast of the Black Nazarene.
"It's not true. We are on heightened alert status because of the Feast of Nazareno," Maranan told the Manila Bulletin.
Heightened Alert is the second highest alert status in the PNP equivalent to Blue Alert status in the military. The highest is Full Alert which is equivalent to Red Alert in the military.
Based on the circulating PNP memo purportedly issued for PNP units in Western Visayas, there was an instruction from the Chief PNP Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr. for PNP units to be placed on alert over "developing issues in Camp Aguinaldo."
A separate PNP issued for units at the CARAGA region stated that the full alert status "in in view of the resignation of Department of National Defense (DND) personnel."
Another supposed PNP memo for the Special Action Force (SAF) refers to "destabilization movements from the AFP" as the reason behind the full alert status.