A woman arrested on Friday for carrying firearms inside a posh hotel in Manila has baffled local authorities as she refuses to give information on her background and possible involvement with local terrorists.

Violeta Malikdan, who was earlier suspected to be the wife of Abu Sabaya, leader of the Abu Sayyaf, is currently in police detention after authorities seized inside her room at the Manila Hotel a handgun, several bullets and close to $48,000 in cash.

Also found in her possession were close to 100 love letters purportedly from an American boyfriend as well as a map of Metro Manila with strategic targets' such as the city petrol depot and the presidential palace shaded with a red marker.

Police swooped on Malikdan's suite after Manila Hotel officials tipped off police on her suspicious activities as locals are tense with the terrorist scare in the wake of attacks in the US.

The mysterious hotel guest had reportedly been cooped up inside her room since April and was paying her room service in crisp $100 bills. The gun, her $48,000 purse and the map led authorities to suspect that Malikdan is a member of a terrorist group planning to conduct attacks in Metro Manila, according to reports.

The elite Presidential Security Group (PSG) had also taken a keen interest in Malikdan's case according to the Philippines Star daily.

Chief Superintendent Romulo Sales, deputy director of the National Capital Region Police Office, said the PSG has sent a representative to coordinate with investigators in the light of possible terrorist attacks in Metro Manila.

The paper also reported that last Saturday, Malikdan tried to bribe a police officer in charge of her detention for her release. She allegedly offered P40,000 to Senior Inspector Tom Tuzon, head of the special mission branch of the Regional Intelligence and Special Operations Office (RISOO) based in Manila's southeastern suburb of Taguig.

Tuzon said he reported the bribery attempt to his superiors who, in turn, ordered tightening of security for the suspect. Malikdan appeared to be "disturbed" during detention.

"Agents have been trying to establish her background, her family and relatives, but to no avail. She has given very little information which when verified, yielded negative results," a police official said.

With Malikdan's refusal to cooperate with interrogators, investigators tried to focus their inquiry on the source of her money which was mostly in $100 bills. Police have sought the assistance of the Central Bank to determine if the dollar bills were genuine.

The investigators were also checking the list of names and telephone numbers found in Malikdan's possession to determine if she belonged to any particular crime syndicate.