IPU cops to round up vagrants, vendors

Task Force Parliament of the Philippine National Police will prevent vagrants, beggars and all kinds of vendors from roaming around the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), where almost 2,000 parliamentarians and legislators are set to attend the five-day summit next week.

"There will definitely be clearing operations in the area," said PNP Intelligence Group (IG) director Chief Superintendent Ismael Rafanan.

PNP spokesperson Senior Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil said the police would coordinate with the local government for their disposition on those affected by clearing operations.

"Perhaps the local government unit can allocate space for them," Bataoil said.

Task Force Parliament chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco is in Singapore attending an anti-terrorism conference and will be back in two days or before the IPU summit.

PNP chief Director General Arturo Lomibao said a total of 15,000 policemen would be fielded at the PICC from April 3 to 8 to ensure the safety of the delegates and to maintain order in the area.

Of the total, 11,700 will come from the National Capital Region Police Office while the rest will come from Region 3 (Central Luzon) and Region 4 (Calabarzon).

Rafanan said the task force has several sub-groups to secure delegates from the time they arrive at the airport on their way to their hotel and to the PICC, which had been cordoned off days before the actual event.

Legitimate establishments nearby will be allowed to operate under strict security supervision.

Police said they will leave no stone unturned to make the event safe and secure.

Rafanan noted that there is no specific threat against IPU delegates by the Abu Sayyaf Group, Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army and other criminal groups.

"We expect cause-oriented groups to conduct protest rallies during the conference, but we don’t expect it to be intense since the US is not part of the summit," Rafanan pointed out.

Apart from the PICC, which is the main venue of the conference, delegates are expected to visit several Philippine tourist spots in Metro Manila.

In Manila, Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong, Western Police District (WPD) director, said 3,200 policemen would be deployed during the IPU.

Bulaong said appropriate number of personnel would also be deployed to protect 10 bay area hotels in Manila where an estimated 60 percent of the delegates are expected to be billeted.

"We are ready to cope with everything that may come during the IPU conference. Hotel security is in place and we have coordinated with the hotel administration," he said.

The WPD chief said they had intensified preparation and conducted workshops for security and safety of delegates for the international gathering as early as the Holy Week.

Secret marshals would conduct anti-crime operations along the tourist belts, particularly against fly-by-night money changing shops, souvenir shops and entertainment establishments such as night clubs, he added.

Meanwhile, Mayor Lito Atienza said he has instructed their Tourism and Cultural Affairs Bureau (TCAB) to coordinate with the organizing committees and to provide red carpet treatment to the delegates.

The TCAB organized a welcoming committee and will tour visitors all over the city, particularly along the Roxas Boulevard Baywalk and along the Rizal Avenue Pedestrian Walkway.

"As the host city, we are opening our doors to our distinguished guests. The presence of respected leaders from different countries here in Manila will definitely erase all adverse advisories issued by their governments about the Philippine Islands," the mayor said. – With Evelyn Macairan