Task Group Bacolod finalizing security plans for ASEAN meetings in March

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 8): Task Group Bacolod finalizing security plans for ASEAN meetings in March

The Task Group Bacolod is finalizing the security plans, including the number of police personnel to be deployed, for the city’s hosting of two Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) meetings next month.

Chief Superintendent Renato Gumban, Acting Director of Police Regional Office (PRO)-18, who heads the task group, presided the contingency meeting Wednesday at Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol here.

The plans are being refined, Gumban said, at the sidelines of the meeting also attended by members of the 2017 Asean National Organizing Committee.

On March 14-16, Bacolod will host the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting (SOM), Joint Consultative Meeting, and Other Related Meetings, and on March 21-23, the 15th Senior Officials Responsible for Information (SOMRI).

About 160 delegates are expected to arrive for the two events.

Gumban estimated that depending on the need, more than 1,000 policemen will be deployed, with the PRO-18 getting augmentation from Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office and Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office.

By the end of February, simulation exercises will be conducted to be followed by another on the second week of March, with the members of the National Organizing Committee.

Task Group Bacolod, formed to lead the preparations for the hosting of the 2017 ASEAN Summit meetings, is composed of 21 national government agencies, including, among others, the Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Health (DOH), and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

Marciano Paynor Jr., Director-General for Operations of the ASEAN 2017 National Organizing Council, had earlier held coordination meetings with the Mayor’s Office and conducted ocular visits in Bacolod.

The Philippines’ summit hosting this year coincides with the 50th anniversary of ASEAN.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=962250