Tighter security for IEC in Cebu after Jakarta attacks

Ryan Macasero

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Tighter security for IEC in Cebu after Jakarta attacks
(UPDATED) The international conference is taking place more than a week after the deadly terrorist attacks in Jakarta

CEBU CITY, Philippines (UPDATED) – Police are stepping up security measures for an international conference that will begin on Sunday, January 24, in Cebu City.

The event comes more than a week after the deadly bombings in Jakarta on January 14 that left 8 people dead.  

While there have been no specific threats made to the upcoming 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) set to begin this Sunday, organizers are not taking any chances. 

“While we commiserate with the victims of the bombing, the incident provides even more impetus for us and our security agencies to be vigilant and prepare to make IEC as secure as possible,” Cebu Auxillary Bishop Dennis Villarojo and secretary general of the IEC organizing committee told CBCP News. 

Security preparations

Region 7 Senior Police Superintendent Manny Gaerlan said during a January 24 press conference that 8,000 military and police officers have been deployed to ensure the security of the event. There are now 12,000 registered delegates to the congress. 

The conference is the second of two major Catholic events which took place in the city this January. First was the Sinulog festival on January 17, where an estimated 2 to 3 million people attended. 

Region 7 Police Deputy Regional Director Lyndon Lawas is encouraging the public to take an “active role” in ensuring the safety and security of others.

“We are conceptualizing the ‘Whole of Nation’ approach, wherein everybody, whatever sector you belong to, has a role to play. Remember that even the smallest things you do will contribute so much to the safety of the whole,” Lawas said during a January 19 press conference. 

No terror threats

A video released on January 4, showed merged extremist groups in Mindanao declaring their allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (referred to as ISIS, ISIL or da’esh, its loose Arabic acronym).

A terrorism expert said that in the Philippines, ISIS would likely proclaim a “wilayat” or province in Mindanao, where they would rule with what they interpret to be sharia law.

There have also been attacks as recent as last November on civilians in Central Mindanao by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a breakaway group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). 

But regional police have not expressed any alarm, and have also not received reports of any possible threat to the international Catholic conference. Lawas said the threat is more local and petty, like pickpocketing and theft.

In November 2015, 2,000 officers were deployed from around the region to secure APEC meetings that took place in Cebu. Around 700 from the Armed Forces of the Philippines were also deployed to help secure the meetings. 

Most participants will begin arriving on Saturday, January 23. The IEC is scheduled to begin on Sunday, January 24 and will end on January 31. Rappler.com 

Follow Rappler’s special coverage of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress. Read other stories by clicking this link.

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Nobuhiko Matsunaka

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Ryan Macasero

Ryan covers social welfare for Rappler. He started at Rappler as social media producer in 2013, and later took on various roles for the company: editor for the #BalikBayan section, correspondent in Cebu, and general assignments reporter in the Visayas region. He graduated from California State University, East Bay, with a degree in international studies and a minor in political science. Outside of work, Ryan performs spoken word poetry and loves attending local music gigs. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmacasero or drop him leads for stories at ryan.macasero@rappler.com