Cellphone signal shutdown eyed during ASEAN meeting
Cellular phone signals might be shut down on certain days in Cebu City for the 30th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit ministerial meetings next month, according to a city official.
The ASEAN Summit is slated on April 3 to 22. The ministerial meetings in Cebu will take place on April 3 to April 7, while the meetings in Bohol will be on April 18 to 22.
Councilor David Tumulak, chairman of the City Council committee on public order and safety, said the shutting down of telecommunication signals would be part of the Philippine National Police’s security measures during the series of meetings of ASEAN leaders and other delegates.
He said the city government is supporting the plan of the Police Regional Office-7 to shut down cellular phone signal during the summit.
“Mag-agad gyod ta sa PNP because they are more knowledgeable in terms of intelligence and enforcement. So kita sa city we just follow nalang gyod unsa’y mga security measures sa PRO-7. So let the police, the law enforcement agencies enforce what will be best for the safety of the ASEAN delegates,” he said.
Tumulak said the scheme would just be the same during the Sinulog when some areas of the city would have no cellular phone signal.
The PNP, he said, is still finalizing the setup, including the areas that would be affected and the exact time when the network services would be shut down.
Aside from the network shutdown, Tumulak said policemen would be deployed in ports, malls, terminals, and other public areas for the international event.
Tumulak has advised the public not to be alarmed by the proposed shutdown.
The Philippines will host the ASEAN Summit for the third time. The country last hosted the event in 2007 with Cebu was one of the venues.
Meanwhile, the management of the Cebu South Bus Terminal is beefing up security and logistic preparations for the Holy Week by putting up tents and signages and augmenting security personnel.
CSBT Manager Joey Herrera said policemen and bomb squad will be detailed at the bus terminal where heavy volume of passengers for the forthcoming holidays is expected.
He said they will ask augmentation force from the Philippine National Police to help enforce stringent inspection of passengers to and from the facility.
At least nine blue guards from the Capitol are helping secure the terminal.
The terminal management is expecting a high number of passengers from second until third week of April.
Herrera said the regular weekend trips have 650 bus trips with at least 29,250 passengers. Each bus trip has at least 45 passengers. CSBT has 300 buses in a regular day. To maintain peace and order, security personnel are strictly enforcing the ban on bladed weapons inside the terminal premises.
The CSBT management also installed tents for the passengers outside the waiting area. This is to ensure that there will be no line outside the terminal.
Herrera said they bought three big tents at P60,000 each and will purchase more to replace those that are already dilapidated. The management also purchased electric fans.
Railings and signage were also put up to sort out passengers according to their destination.
The elderly, pregnant, persons with disabilities, and those traveling with small children will be assigned priority lanes.
Herrera reminded passengers to observe the terminal rules to ensure smooth and organized operations as well as passenger safety.
Passengers heading south will have to use Entrance 1 (near E-Mall) while those heading west will have to use Entrance 2 (near the Land Transportation Office).
Entrance 1 are for those headed to Naga, Carcar, Sibonga, Argao, Barili, Dumanjug, Tangil, Alcantara, Moalboal, Badian, Alegria, Ginatilan, Samboan, San Fernando, Alcoy, Oslob (Bato, Liloan), Santander, Dumaguete, Bacolod, Zamboanga, and Aloguinsan.
Entrance 2 will be for those headed to Toledo, Pinamungajan, Balamban and Tuburan.
On the other hand, some terminal personnel underwent a three-day emergency response training last week conducted by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
“Gi-train ang personnel about emergency response to attend to those nakuyapan or naa’y disgrasya,” Herrera said.
In Cebu City, Tumulak said law enforcers will also be deployed to secure public areas.
Tumulak also sought the help of the Association of Barangay Councils to direct barangay tanods to conduct regular surveillance in their respective areas to help prevent petty crimes.