Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe greets supporters in Sukagawa, Fukushima prefecture, northeastern Japan, in this June 22, 2016 photo. Abe will be on a state visit to the Philippines from Jan. 12 to 13, with a plan to drop by the house of President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao City. KYODO NEWS VIA AP
DAVAO CITY — Counter-terrorism experts here have not monitored any terror threats to the state visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the launching of the Asean 2017 Philippine chairmanship.
Nevertheless, Sr. Insp. Catherine dela Rey, spokesperson of the Davao City Police Office, told the Inquirer Thursday that they mobilized all their units, backed by the military’s Task Force Davao, to secure the historic visit of Abe and the opening of Asean 2017 set for January 15 at the SMX Convention Hall of SM Lanang.
Dela Rey said authorities saw no indication of any possible terror attacks during the events.
On Sept. 2 last year, 15 people were killed and 67 others were wounded in a bomb attack in the crowded night market on Roxas Boulevard here.
“So far there were no threats monitored. We will make sure that the visit will be successful,” she said.
“We already made the necessary security arrangements from the time Prime Minister Abe arrives at the Davao International Airport up to the different areas he is visiting, including the security measures for his wife because there are times that the itinerary of the wife is different from the Prime Minister’s,” Dela Rey said.
“We have deployed enough security personnel to make their trip successful and secured,” she added.
Abe arrives in Manila on Thursday and will later fly to this city.
On Friday, Abe will meet with members of the business sector.
He was also expected to visit the house of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and the Japanese-language school Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku here. CBB/rga