Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim has ordered the Manila Police District (MPD) to inspect malls and commercial establishments for shops selling “signal jamming devices” which many fear could be used in disrupting the automated polls.

The order came after MPD Station 3, led by Police Supt. Nelson Yabut failed to recover devices during a botched raid inside Xeng Shing Enterprises at Florentino Street, Quiapo, Manila.

Lim said authorities should conduct surveillance and monitoring inside well-known malls in the city to determine if the signal jamming equipment has already entered the mainstream market.

"Hindi umano dapat na ipagwalang bahala ng publiko ang paglaganap ng signal jaming device dahil dito nakasalalay ang kinabukasan ng bansa," Lim said while urging the public to inform authorities on the presence of such equipment.

Last Wednesday, Yabut, along with operatives of the MPD Station 11 under Supt. Rogelio Rosales, conducted a raid on several establishments in Binondo and Raon but failed to recover any jamming devices.

“Wala na kaming naabutan kasi sa tingin namin yung iba itinago na nila ang kanilang paninda kasi napanood na nila sa TV at nabasa sa mga dyaryo ang tungkol sa mga jamming device,” Yabut told reporters.