Police in Inabanga warned the public against the spread of an erroneous text message alerting residents in the town of another infiltration of Abu Sayyaf bandits into the municipality.

According to SPO1 Ricky Remata, the text message was a hoax as the town and the rest of the province remained clear of any terror threat.

The Inabanga Police Station had been swamped with inquiries regarding the alleged arrival of militant bandits at the town but this has repeatedly been denied by the authorities, Remata said.

“Negative ng balitaa. Sa pagkakaron, malinawon kaayo diri sa Inabanga,” he added.

The original source of the message who asked residents to keep children indoors amid the terror threat claimed to be from the local government unit (LGU) of Inabanga.

However, the town’s LGU has denied that it was behind the spread of the text message.

The LGU through its official Facebook page said that the information, which was spread through text and social media, was “malicious” and “fake.”

“Gipasa-pasa na kini sukad pa niadtong 2018 aron lang sa paghatag og kabalaka ug kahadlok sa mga katawhan,” it said in the same statement.

In April 2017, 11 Abu Sayyaf bandits slipped into the province through Inabanga.

The infiltration led to month-long manhunt operations carried out by the police and military resulting in the killing of all the militants including Inabanga-native Joselito Melloria. (AD)