COPS VOW TO ENSURE ‘PEACEFUL’ MEETINGS

No clear, imminent danger, but temporary lockdowns, police checkpoints planned in ‘critical areas’

Some 33,086 uniformed police personnel will be deployed to secure 16 hotels, five venues and routes that will be taken by delegates to the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit and Related Meetings in November.

Chief Superintendent Oscar Albayalde, National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) chief, said they were doubling efforts to ensure that the meetings would be “peaceful and incident-free.”

The meetings will be held on November 10 to 14 in Manila and in Pampanga. Twenty-one world leaders and around 3,000 delegates are expected to attend.

“It is our prayers that as we have recorded zero crime-incident with the 203 concluded meetings in (Manila), this final event will be as peaceful and as incident-free as we complete the hosting of the 31st summit,” he said in a press conference.

The 31st Asean fora, which will be held simultaneously in Manila and in Clark, Pampanga, will be attended by the 21 world leaders, including those from the United States, China, and Russia.

Albayalde said intelligence reports showed there was no imminent threat or any possible terror attacks.

But he said they were not discounting the possibility that there might be retaliatory attacks from sympathizers of the Maute militants who were recently defeated in Marawi City.

Officials announced the end to the war in Marawi on October 23, exactly five months after fighting broke out.

Albayalde also said the government was prepared for any possible attacks by members of the New People’s Army (NPA), armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Peace talks with the communists have been put on hold.

No threats

“As of this time, our intelligence monitoring shows no clear or imminent danger or any planned terrorists attack that could disrupt these historic events. But the threat of terrorism remains due to retaliatory attacks from threat groups supportive of the Maute/Isis, and possible isolated atrocities from the CPP/NPA/NDF to embarrass the government,” Albayalde said.

Albayalde said there would be checkpoints and temporary lockdowns on “critical areas” to ensure the safety and security of heads of state who will be participating in the Southeast Asian region’s conference.

He said roads along Philippine International Convention Center, Cultural Center of the Philippines, and Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City would be temporarily locked down starting November 10 to pave way for the event.

He added that the North Luzon Expressway lane from Clark, Pampanga to Manila would be on lockdown for nearly 20 minutes every time a foreign leader arrives for the Asean summit on November 11 and 12.

Albayalde said the Philippine National Police also suspended civilians’ permits to carry firearms outside of their residence from November 1 to 15.