ASEAN Summit preparations: Tom raises security concern

It is barely seven months before the holding of the ASEAN Summit in Cebu and Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday expressed concerns over the vulnerability of security forces tasked to keep the foreign delegations safe from terrorists' attacks.

Osmeña cited the incident the other night when a box containing a bomb was left behind by somebody in a mall at the north reclamation area, saying that what he fears the most if the possible attempt of terrorists to sabotage the 4-day summit this December.

"If there's an area where we are vulnerable...if there's going to be a major attempt, it will be done by men wearing military uniforms," Osmeña said as he raised the possible risk that the estimated 15,000 military and police forces, set to secure the summit, might be breached.

The mayor theorized that the incursion, if ever, would be carried out by "men in uniform" or terrorists that might infiltrate the security force in the guise of being part of it.

Osmeña clarified he does not suspect anybody from the government ranks saying it would not be very difficult for determined terrorists to acquire uniforms of military and police to carry out their plots.

"If you're not paranoid, you'll just ignore the whole thing," Osmeña said, referring to the threat against the security in the city during the summit. "The more worried we are, the more safe we will be...we need to start thinking this way," he said.

Osmeña's worries over the vulnerability of security have been raised already to President Gloria Arroyo but the mayor was reportedly not convinced fully of the government's assurance to look into the matter.

He said the city government will find a way instead to set up its own system of validation, and one of the measures that he has been pushing, right up to Mrs. Arroyo's attention, is to decongest the city.

The mayor said people should see the wisdom of his recommendation to declare the 4-day summit, from December 11 to 14, as a holiday to keep most of the people off the city.

The holidays would decongest the city and maximize security because it would be easier to manage with less people around, said Osmeña.

Osmeña also pushed the "balik-probinsiya" program, which involves luring people in the city to leave for their respective hometowns during the Summit. He said he offered P100,000 to various towns and cities in the province to fund the enforcement of the program.

Moreover there is his "balik-bukid" program, which also involves financial assistance to mountain barangays that would prod their respective residents to stay in their places during the duration of the summit.

Osmeña said he planned to create a central command post for the ASEAN Summit security but then he is not yet sure of cooperation from the national organizing committee. The panel has assured him already that the matter will be taken care of but then, so far, it has not named anybody to head such post.

Another reason for security worries is the ASEAN Economic Minister's Meeting, to be held also in Cebu three days before the summit, which would be participated by 250 business leaders from other countries who would be joining their respective heads of states in the summit.

At least 250 rooms of the newly built Parklane Hotel, across the Cebu Business Park, have been reserved already for the visiting business leaders while 17 heads-of-state are expected to gather in Cebu for the summit. - Joeberth M. Ocao