Stay calm, military tells public

MANILA, Philippines – The military on Tuesday, September 11, asked the public to stop “spreading rumors or conjectures” about the alleged unusual movement of military vehicles on EDSA Monday night, September 10.

In a statement, Armed Forces spokesperson Colonel Edgard Arevalo said he has received “persistent queries” about “sightings of tanks, to military helicopters, or even red alert status of military camps.”

Arevalo gave assurances that there have been no “sizeable movements of military aircraft or armored vehicles.”

“And even if there were any in the past or in the future, those were or will be routine movements that are properly coordinated,” Arevalo added.

He urged the public to stay calm as  “there is no cause for alarm.”

Social media was abuzz Monday night and Tuesday morning about reports that military tanks have been seen rolling on EDSA.

so i spotted 2 army tanks along edsa earlier going to school.

Nation Adress??? Jk. pic.twitter.com/svQTBZIWak

— josh (@johnjoshcarillo) September 10, 2018

The reports came on the eve of the President’s scheduled address to the nation, which was canceled.

Last week, mutineer-turned-senator Antonio Trillanes IV was ordered arrested by Duterte, after the President voided the amnesty granted the senator.

This prompted Trillanes to stay in the Senate building while the military and the police prepared to arrest him, causing tension in the capital.

But the courts have not issued any warrant against him. 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to grant Trillanes’ petition stopping the implementation of the order, but said the senator cannot be arrested without warrant.

The justice department had asked two courts in Makati to issue such warrants. – Rappler.com