The Philippine president, Benigno Aquino, has warned of a possible terrorist attack during an annual Catholic procession in Manila.
Aquino said several terrorists planning to disrupt the January 9 event have been sighted in the capital.
He said police were attempting to arrest the suspects and disrupt any planned attack.
He could not confirm whether the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militant group, which has staged deadly bomb attacks in the capital in the past, was involved in the plot.
On January 9 each year, a wooden statue of Jesus Christ, known as the Black Nazarene, is paraded through the narrow streets of Manila from dawn to midnight, attracting tens of thousands of devotees.
compiled from agency reports
Aquino said several terrorists planning to disrupt the January 9 event have been sighted in the capital.
He said police were attempting to arrest the suspects and disrupt any planned attack.
He could not confirm whether the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militant group, which has staged deadly bomb attacks in the capital in the past, was involved in the plot.
On January 9 each year, a wooden statue of Jesus Christ, known as the Black Nazarene, is paraded through the narrow streets of Manila from dawn to midnight, attracting tens of thousands of devotees.
compiled from agency reports