Malacañang clarified Monday that there is no heightened security alert at the presidential palace, saying recent security activities were part of a routine exercise.

Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the measures observed near Malacañang were intended to test the operational readiness of security personnel.

“It is just part of a security exercise to test the operational readiness of personnel and units,” Castro told Palace reporters.

The clarification came after social media posts by critics of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. claimed that the palace had been placed on full alert.

Columnist Ramon Tulfo wrote on Facebook on Sunday that Malacañang was supposedly under heightened security.

Another critic, Jay Sonza, also claimed that police had secured areas leading to the palace complex and that razor wire had been installed on Sunday.

In a social media post, Sonza said Nicanor Padilla, Mendiola and Arlegui streets near the palace compound were closed to vehicular traffic due to increased security.

However, Castro dismissed the claims, saying the activities were part of routine security preparations.

As of Monday, all gates leading to Malacañang were open and traffic had resumed in surrounding streets.