LA TRINIDAD, Benguet—Security preparations and systems are a go with barely three weeks before the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministerial and leaders meetings in November to be attended by heads of states and high-ranking officials.
Police Chief Inspector Kimberly Molitas, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Information Officer said on the sidelines of the 2017 ASEAN youth forum at Benguet State University on Monday afternoon that since January, the NCRPO, composed of over 23,000 police in the National Capital Region, including military personnel, had secured 140 meetings conducted nationwide.
“We have already given our specific instructions to all our troops down the line for the securing of the final week which is on the third week of November, it is nearing,” she said.
“We assure the public that we have done our part to make sure that every leader who will be coming and every visitor will be secured for the ASEAN event,” said Molitas, who spoke before more than 400 junior and senior high school students from 23 schools in Benguet.
Aside from the accommodation, proper coordination with hotels have also been done, aside from convoy runs.
“We have done convoy runs to make sure that we have enough time to adjust any small detail for the year of preparation. It’s a security preparation so hour by hour we want to make sure that everything is good to go comes the final week,” Molitas said.
Aside from NCRPO personnel, the Special Action Force and the military will also secure the meet. They will be joined by some police from Regions 3 and 4 who will be on stand-by.
The Philippines, which chairs the 10-nation Southeast Asian bloc this year, hosted various activities and meetings related to ASEAN. The meetings will take place from November 10 to 14 in Clark, Pampanga and in Manila.
Leaders from Australia, Canada, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, and the United States are expected to attend the meetings. (PNA)
