Viral social media posts showing military tanks rumbling through EDSA have caused panic among netizens amid destabilization and martial law reports , but the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the public should “stay calm.”
“We wish to categorically state that there were no such sizeable movements of military aircraft or armored vehicles,” said AFP spokesman Col. Edgard Arevalo in a statement on Tuesday.
“We urge the public to stay calm,” he said. “There is no cause for alarm.”
Arevalo said they have been receiving “persistent” queries about the sightings of tanks and military helicopters, and about red alert status of military camps.
One social media post, by YouScooper John Josh Carillo, shows two armored personnel carriers traversing EDSA. He said the video was taken on Monday morning, September 10.
In his statement, Arevalo assured the public that these troop movements “are properly coordinated.”
“These transportations may happen any time of the day or night especially in localities where there are military camps,” he said.
“Some are even announced to the public in so far as they will not compromise operational security.”
At the same time, Arevalo appealed to the public to stop spreading rumors that “tend to sow misinformation, confusion, and worst—panic.”
“The public should be wary of persons or groups who maliciously spread such rumors,” he said. —KBK, GMA News
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