MANILA, Philippines – Metro Manila’s police force is ready to ensure the safety of 1,700 VIPs attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) events this week.

The VIPs, which include 27 foreign ministers and a slew of senior officials, will gather in Manila for the 50th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and Post-Ministerial Conferences from August 2 to 8.

“The preparations have been made since last year. I think with all our efforts, we are very much ready to secure the leaders, the ministers coming here,” said National Capital Region Police Office Regional Director Oscar Albayalde on Tuesday, August 1, speaking at a Malacañang press briefing.

Around 13,000 uniformed personnel will be deployed during the week, as well as 1,286 personnel from other agencies, he said.

Security will revolve mainly in the Pasay, Parañaque, Pasay, and Makati areas where delegates will be staying in various hotels and where ASEAN events will take place.

The biggest event will take place on August 8, the last day of the meetings, during which a “Grand Commemorative Celebration” of ASEAN’s 50th anniversary will be held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

The celebration will involve a parade and ceremonial lighting.

While it will be the Metropolitan Manile Development Authority that will announce traffic regulations and road closures, Albayalde said commuters can expect southbound roads from Luneta to CPP to be closed starting one or two hours before the parade.

Preventing terror attacks

The police are determined to ensure no terrorism-like activities will occur during the week of ASEAN events.

Albayalde recalled the bombing incident in Quiapo which occurred during the hosting of the 30th ASEAN Summit last April. Police attributed the explosion to a local scuffle between Quiapo residents and a minor.

They denied it was a terror attack linked to the ASEAN Summit.

The police are monitoring certain groups in Metro Manila capable of attacks, including two elderly former Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB) members.

“We are monitoring some groups who are actually present here in Metro Manila, who are Balik Islam and other former members of the ABB, who suspectedly are now Balik Islam. So these are all being monitored in relation to this meeting,” said Albayalde.

The ABB is a death squad active in the 1980s that had assassinated dozens of people upon the orders of the Communist Party of the Philippines. 

Albayalde said police are also closely watching “critical enclaves” for some criminals like Maharlika Village in Taguig, and Quiapo and Baseco in Manila.

So far, police have not detected any serious impending threat from these groups. – Rappler.com