Motorists hit traffic on Roxas Boulevard

Motorists assailed the apparent lack of coordination among government agencies preparing for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministerial meeting that has resulted in heavy traffic along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City.

Major events of the ASEAN ministerial meeting will be held in the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) complex from July 29 to Aug. 2 and motorists using major thoroughfares near the vicinity of the CCP complex have experienced traffic jams.

CCP administration director Tess Rances said the CCP management has made arrangements with the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Pasay City local government and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in connection with the flow of traffic.

Under the agreement among the agencies involved in the ASEAN preparations, Rances said the PNP-Traffic Management Group and the MMDA are the government units in charge of rerouting traffic in areas near the CCP.

She said the rerouting was supposed to be implemented last July 17 and that there must be information dissemination to keep the public aware of the policy during the event.

Rances admitted that she has not seen any announcement being made by the agencies involved.

She noted that she had checked with the PNP Task Force Kapayapaan on the rerouting plan but “PNP officials said they could not reveal this early their security preparations to prevent the plan from being jeopardized” by criminal groups.

Rances said the plan was to close Diosdado Macapagal Avenue and motorists are advised to turn to Gil Puyat Avenue. Due to lack of information, motorists had tried to turn to Macapagal Avenue only to be told that the road has been closed.

The PNP has not monitored any specific threat while making the security preparations and threat assessment for the forthcoming 40th ASEAN ministerial meeting, which will coincide with the 14th ASEAN regional forum.

PNP chief Director General Oscar Calderon said a series of dry-runs were held starting last Sunday to familiarize all personnel involved with the security procedures, particularly during the movement of delegates to and from the areas of engagement and places of billeting.

Calderon said the PNP will provide “full security” to the delegates.

“We must ensure the safety of this event because anything that would endanger the lives of the delegates would be detrimental to the national and bilateral interests of the country and the participating ASEAN and dialogue countries,” said Calderon.

Calderon said the PNP is ready to prevent any local and foreign elements who would want to disrupt the meetings.

He said that he already created Task Force AMM to be headed by Deputy Director General Avelino Razon Jr., PNP Deputy Chief for Administration to orchestrate, direct and supervise the overall conduct of security operations in all areas of engagement, including hotels where the delegates will be billeted. – Cecille Suerte Felipe