7,700 policemen to secure ADB meeting

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has fielded a total of 7,700 police personnel ahead of the 51st Asian Developlment Bank (ADB) Board of Governors’ Annual Meeting 2018 in Mandaluyong City next week.

The PNP sent off the policemen on Friday morning from its headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City.

The ADB Board of Governors’ Annual Meeting will take place from May 3 to May 6.

Chief Supt. William Macavinta, commander of the Red Team, said they are expecting around 3,000 delegates and 67 finance and economic ministers from different countries.

They are also expecting the presence of international media and other private business visitors in the meeting, who are expected to arrive in the Philippines on May 1.

“We always maintain that whenever there’s a hosting of major events, there’s going to be zero incidents... We re on full force today. We just had our rehearsals and we are prepared as it shows,” Macavinta told reporters in Filipino.

He said their billeting areas include hotels in the cities of Pasig, Makati and Taguig because this is where most delegates will stay for the duration of the meeting.

Chief Supt. Alfredo Valdez, chief of the National Operations Center, said there have been no specific security threats yet.

“But we are considering that on May 1, Labor Day, there are labor groups who will converge and conduct rallies and that is the only concern that we see so far that may take place within ADB meetings,” he added.

Deputy Director General Fernando Mendez, PNP deputy chief for operations, said in his speech that he is trusting the deployed police personnel to secure peace and order during the gathering of ADB officials and dignitaries.

“This is another opportunity for us to replicate our successful conduct of security coverages in previous big events held in the country particularly the papal visit in 2015, [Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation] summit in the same year and the [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] Summit in 2017,” he pointed out.

The ADB meeting will take place at the bank’s headquarters in Mandaluyong City.

This is the fifth time that the Philippines will host the annual business meeting.

PHOTO BY RUY L. MARTINEZ VAYA CON DIOS A military chaplain sprinkles holy water on thousands of members of the Philippine National Police from various units at the Camp Crame Transformation Oval in Quezon City on Friday during send- off ceremony for the security task force...