Binay orders tighter security at Makati CBD

In a security meeting following a grenade attack against a diving equipment shop early this week, Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay yesterday ordered the tightening of security measures in the vicinity of embassies, malls and vital facilities in the country’s financial capital.

"We need to show that Makati as a community will stand firm in the face of these attempts to sow disorder in our city. We are going to keep the peace and we are doing so right now," he said as he presided over a conference with Makati City Police Department (MCPD) officials, members of the diplomatic corps, and other concerned agencies.

The meeting was also attended by representatives of embassies, major corporations, banks, hotels, security agencies, mall operators, barangay officials, public safety officers, and barangay leaders.

Binay directed the MCPD, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to ensure 24-hour presence and high police visibility, especially within the Central Business District (CBD).

He also called for the deployment of more DPS and police personnel in plainclothes officers in the area.

Security guards were likewise enlisted as force multipliers and asked to include in their patrols the perimeter of their buildings or establishments.

DPS chief Hermie San Miguel said car bomb attacks can easily be carried out by terror groups and other criminal elements, especially within the CBD, but the same can be prevented simply by strictly following security measures and existing traffic laws.

San Miguel said one way to effectively deter car bomb attacks is to address illegal parking problems in the city, noting that apart from private vehicles, vehicles with diplomatic plates are also one of the more frequent violators of the parking rule.

San Miguel explained terrorists can easily install diplomatic plates on a vehicle, put a bomb inside and parked it in front of any establishment and set it off.

Binay said the city government is giving the Makati police 10 additional patrol cars, 25 motorcycle units, and more handheld radios.

The mayor, in reaction to rumors of a bomb explosion at one of the high-rise buildings, said the city government is ready for any emergency.

"We are holding this conference precisely to address these rumors of bombings. We want to show that everything is under control," he said.

Binay said security officials of embassies and corporations should also share information with the police and the city government.

"We may have the best contingency plans and facilities, but if we do not have information, if we do not share information, our response will be affected," he noted.

Binay expressed confidence that the opening of the Makati Command Center two months from now will greatly enhance the emergency response capability of the city.

The Command Center, which he tagged as a "mini-911," will be capable of receiving and responding to emergency calls anywhere in Makati on a 24-hour basis.

Meanwhile, the MCPD has released an police artist’s sketch of one of the suspects in the grenade throwing incident at the Aqua Venture diving shop in Barangay San Antonio last Monday.

The suspect is described as a male with dark complexion, believed to be between 20 to 25 years of age, and stands at 5 feet and 6 inches in height.