Tight security at Manila concert

Pop star Ariana Grande—who said on Twitter that she was “broken” a few hours after a suicide attack killed 22 people and wounded 59 others at the end of her concert at Manchester Arena in northern England—is just halfway through her 80-date “Dangerous Woman” world tour.

The tour, which kicked off Feb. 3 in Phoenix, Arizona, is booked for a two-night swing in London’s O2 Arena this week and scheduled for a stop in Manila, at SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena, on Aug. 21.

Parents of teenagers comprising the majority of the 23-year-old singer’s Filipino fans who have already bought tickets to her MOA Arena show are understandably worried.

Music Management International (MMI), promoter of Grande’s Manila date, declined to comment when the Inquirer called up on Tuesday.

Tickets to the MOA Arena concert are reportedly almost sold out.

But one of the measures MMI has imposed on its productions was tighter and wider security, following the tragic Forever Summer rave event on May 22, 2016, that left at least five people dead, allegedly due to drug use.

Part of its security team is the hiring of foreign snipers to ensure the safety of the concert audience.

Some of the major artists that MMI has brought to the country for concerts included Bruno Mars, Maroon 5, One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Madonna and Coldplay.

Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos, spokesperson for the Philippine National Police, on Tuesday said the PNP would work with the organizers to ensure safety during Grande’s MOA Arena concert.

Carlos said the organizers should also coordinate with the PNP before they could get a permit to stage the concert.

Grande’s coming show in Manila is her second time to perform in the Philippines. The first was on Aug. 23, 2015, also at MOA Arena. —WITH A REPORT FROM PHILIP C. TUBEZA

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