Police say they’re ready for protests vs Apec

CLARK FREEPORT—Police are ready to deal with protesters during meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) here on Feb. 7, an official said on Monday.

Chief Supt. Ronald Santos, officer in charge of the Central Luzon regional police, said maximum tolerance would be exercised by 2,800 policemen deployed to this economic zone, which has been hosting Apec meetings since Jan. 21.

Police have prohibited rallies inside Clark, at the main gate or at the area known as “Salakot,” a hat-shaped structure at Bayanihan Park just outside Clark, Santos said.

He said police were not expecting Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan to issue a permit to rally as the city partly hosted international and local delegates.

Santos said policemen in Clark had been on full alert as they secured delegates to the Apec meetings. He said the security plan had not been adjusted in light of an encounter that left 44 Special Action Force commandos dead after fighting it out with Moro rebels in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao province last week.

“The policemen we deployed in Clark are performing their jobs. It’s their way of honoring their fallen comrades,” Santos said.

On Friday last week, governors and mayors in Central Luzon began contributing funds for the 3,048 policemen securing Apec venues in Clark and Subic Bay Freeport in Zambales province as budgets for their meals, sleeping quarters and transportation have run short or are not coming at all.

For their respective police contingents, Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali provided P678,000; Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado, P300,000; Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda, P250,000; and Angeles Mayor Pamintuan, P350,000. Pamintuan gave another P150,000 for meals of village watchmen.

So far, the delegates have discussed health issues, anticorruption practices, inter-economy cooperation in disaster response and empowerment of small and medium enterprises, a report from the Philippine Information Agency said. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon