President Aquino: PHL coordinating with allies to prevent terror threats during Papal visit

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 12): President Aquino: PHL coordinating with allies to prevent terror threats during Papal visit
 

President Benigno S. Aquino III on Monday said the Philippines is closely coordinating with allies from other countries, including ASEAN, to prevent terror threats when Pope Francis visits the country this week.

“...We are maximizing all of these efforts and we’re touching base with so many allies to try and see, parang identify any threat whatsoever coming from any direction,” he said in a media interview.

President Aquino said the country is collaborating with various mechanisms and organizations which it belongs, such as Interpol, in tracking watch lists of people who have flocked to Syria and Iraq to join Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

“Tapos ASEAN brother states that have some of their citizens suspected of wanting to join IS(IS). Plus we have our own ongoing operations to deal with our own domestic terrorist threats,” he said.

The President said the tight security to be provided for the Pope is comparable to those for the various heads of governments and states who will come to the country this year for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.

Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the country on Jan. 15 to 19.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=724425