MANILA, Sept. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- There is no immediate threat comingfrom foreign and local terrorist groups in Metro Manila and its environs, police and military authorities assured on Friday.

    Both the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and the Armed Forces National Capital Region Command (NCRC) gave the assurance eight days before the third anniversary of the terrorist attack in New York and Washington, which killed thousands and considered as one of the deadliest terror attack in recent history.

    "Our intelligence task group is on top of the situation in monitoring things. So far anything that comes into the radar are monitored and we take action of it," NCRC Chief Lieutenant GeneralAlberto Braganza told reporters in military headquarters Camp Aguinaldo.

    NCRPO Chief Police Director Avelino Razon, who visited the NCRCHeadquarters Friday, said they have intensified security on foreign embassies in Metro Manila through the Diplomatic Security Task Force as embassies are considered common targets of terroristattacks.

    Braganza said the NCRC had already deployed a Naval component to patrol the Manila Bay area where the United States Embassy is located at. US Embassies worldwide are usual targets of terrorist attacks.

    Also targets of possible terrorist attacks in Metro Manila are vital installations, sea ports and key economic points. The intelligence community early this year monitored the presence of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and Abu Sayyaf terrorists in Metro Manila.

    Both the JI and the Abu Sayyaf are allegedly linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist network, the group behind the Sept.11, 2001 terror attacks in the United States.

    The Philippine authorities said they have not monitored any specific group planning to conduct terror attacks, which, however does not stop them from being vigilant.

    The NCRPO and the NCRC are both mandated to secure the nationalcapital region, which includes the principal seat of government, the citizenry, key and vital infrastructures, installations and utilities and centers of business activities, from all threat groups. Enditem