Philippines on security alert for world leaders summit

By Roy Ramos

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines

The Philippines has organized elaborate security measures nationwide in preparation for a meeting of world leaders in Manila next week.

The organizers of the Nov. 18-19 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Summit told reporters that a 30,000-strong force would protect 19 visiting heads of state including United States President Barack Obama, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"I think we are 95 to 97 percent ready for APEC," Marciano Paynor Jr. -- who heads the summit council -- told reporters Thursday. "We are just fine-tuning some of the details."

On Friday, police announced that all firearms permits in Manila would be temporarily suspended for the duration of the summit.

The Presidential Security Group is tasked to protect the heads of state, Paynor added, while police personnel would patrol the grounds surrounding the summit venue, and troops from the army, navy, marines, air force, and coast guard would secure the land, sea and airspace of Manila.

Paynor underlined that providing security for the estimated 7,000 delegates at the event would be the greatest challenge in hosting the meeting.

Zamboanga Police Director Sr. Supt. Angelito Casimiro told Anadolu Agency on Friday that security measures had been extended nationwide to prevent opportunistic terror attacks by separatist rebels while the world's attention is on the summit.

The predominantly Christian city of Zamboanga in the Philippines south has for years been the target of terror attacks by the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group.

Casimiro said that public safety officers had undergone special bomb-handling training in advance of the summit, and that the province was on high alert "to prevent spoilers in the countryside".

Maritime Security Commander Commodore Joel Garcia told GMA News on Thursday that a no-sail zone would be enforced along the shores of Manila Bay.

“We have included in security measures the profiling of people on the move, including passengers coming from Mindanao [in the insurgent-plagued south],” Garcia was quoted as saying.

The Philippines has allocated 10 billion pesos ($212 million) to hosting APEC meetings throughout 2015.