No bomb threat, but SM malls on heightened alert in wake of Davao bombing

SM malls are currently on heightened alert after the deadly explosion in Davao City last week, even as the company belied rumors that there's a bomb threat to their facilities.

"State of lawlessness was declared so everyone's on heightened alert," Cora P. Guidote, SM Senior Vice President for Investor Relations, told GMA News Online in a phone interview.

Guidote said they have already implemented stricter security measures such as the comprehensive checking of bags upon entrances, while security personnel have been instructed to do more rounds.

"Business as usual," she said.

In the same interview, Guidote also belied text messages that have recently been circulating, claiming that the company has received bomb threats.

"That's not true. It's part of fear-mongering," she said.

In a separate statement, SM also denied that the information was released by any of its personnel.

"We are requesting the authorities to verify the source of the information circulating, as said information was not released by any SM officer," it said.

Latest data available reveals that SM currently has 59 malls — 20 in Metro Manila, 30 in the rest of Luzon, five in Visayas, and four in Mindanao. The company ended June 2016 with a total of 328 stores — 55 The SM Stores, 47 SM Supermarkets, 45 SM Hypermarkets, 147 Savemore stores, and 34 WalterMart Stores.

For its part, SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. President Elizabeth T. Sy said there is no need to beef up security.

"I think it's there already, the security. We've always been very security conscious as a company naman," she told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of the Miriam College-Henry Sy, Sr. Innovation Center.

"Life goes on. So far, the hotels have been doing quite well. Whether it's in Davao, whether in Clark," she said.

SM currently operates six hotels throughout the country: Radisson Blu in Cebu, Park Inn Clark in Pampanga, Park Inn Davao, Conrad Manila, Pico Sands Hotel in Batangas, and Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay.

Other institutions, such as the Makati City Hall and several schools across the country also received bomb threats on Tuesday. Those turned out to be false.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday officially declared a state of national emergency becauseof lawless violence, effectively commanding the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to beef up security efforts.

This comes after the deadly explosion in Davao City's Roxas Street late Friday which killed 14 people and left more than 65 others injured. —JST, GMA News