MANILA, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) has tightened security measures for possible terrorism ahead of the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, Manila media reported Sunday.

    PNP spokesman Samuel Pagdilao denied any direct or imminent threat on a specific target in the country but said security forces raise the alert level ahead of the 9/11 anniversary as a standard operating procedure, according to a report by ANC TV.

    Pagdilao said the public should remain vigilant.

    Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye has also appealed to the public to help authorities keep the country safe.

    "We have been gaining solid ground in uprooting homegrown and foreign terror cells and this continues without letup with full public vigilance and cooperation," Bunye said in a statement.

    "Terrorism can strike anywhere and anytime. While our authorities are not letting their guard down, we urge our people to keep their alertness up as we approach the anniversary of 9/11," he said.

    Nearly 3,300 people died in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that were allegedly perpetrated by the al Qaeda network. Enditem