MANILA, Philippines - There was no overkill in security measures during the weeklong Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Manila.
Security forces have been placed on high alert since Sunday following the terror attacks in France that left over 100 people dead and wounded.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ricardo Marquez stressed the APEC Security Task Force (STF) was merely working within the security standards being implemented to protect foreign delegates and heads of member economies.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Joel Pagdilao said troops have been deployed in 43 hotels in Metro Manila where the delegates are staying as well as on roads leading to the summit venue.
The APEC Security Task Force implemented a lockdown in many areas in the cities of Manila, Pasay and Makati to allow the movement of delegates and economic leaders during the summit.
Marquez said so far, there were no untoward incidents reported on the third day of the APEC.
“There was no one caught with IEDs in any of our billets and venues,” he said.
The Task Group on Maritime Security, on the other hand, reported an abandoned vehicle at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
Task Force commander Joel Garcia said they are determining why the vehicle, a white Honda CRV with license plates PIS-208, was abandoned near the Vikings Restaurant.
Garcia said they initially inspected the vehicle and found explosives. The vehicle was traced to a certain Jingjing Xu.
Pagdilao added the NCRPO has tasked the special reaction units of the five police districts in Metro Manila to continue patrol operations.
The NCRPO is manning checkpoints of all roads leading to the areas of the venue.
“So far, so good. Our anti-criminality campaign in Metro Manila is at high gear and holding,” Pagdilao said.
On the other hand, anti-riot policemen have been deployed at strategic areas leading to the summit, in a bid to contain the rallyists protesting the holding of the APEC.
However, the military was taken by surprise by militant groups that held a lightning rally in front of main headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Quezon City yesterday.
“When our soldiers opened the gate because they were banging it, they were surprised and scampered away,” said Col. Noel Detoyato, the AFP-Public Affairs Office chief. – Non Alquitran, Jaime Laude, Evelyn Macairan