ILOILO City – To ensure the peaceful conduct of the East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress from Nov. 27 to 30 at the Iloilo Convention Center (ICC) in Mandurriao district, a total of 1,761 policemen are being mobilized.
A “send-off ceremony” of the police forces was held on Saturday at Plaza Libertad, City Proper.
According to Senior Superintendent Martin Defensor Jr., Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director, the policemen are ready to ensure the safety of the participants.
“Security is a serious business. There could be unimaginable consequences if we fail,” he said.
The EAS Congress seeks to further strengthen the implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA); help track blue economy development across the region; and help promote new initiatives, investments and partnerships to accelerate the achievement of local and regional targets of oceans conservation.
Regional Director Jim Sampulna of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) agreed with Defensor.
“We cannot undermine the importance of this international conference. We are seeking ways to conserve and protect our oceans,” he said.
DENR is the lead agency hosting the congress.
“We have to be alert at all times,” Sampulna told policemen.
The Philippines, through DENR and the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), is hosting the triennial conference, which for this year coincides with the 25th year since the latter was founded.
PEMSEA has 11 country partners and 22 non-country members within and outside the East Asian regions.
Data from the ICPO showed 862 of the policemen being mobilized are from the sub-site task group peace and order; 815 from the sub-site task group security; 44 from the command control; and 40 from the sub-site task group emergency prepared and response.
There are also logistical support and resources for mobility that are deployed, including 55 patrol cars, 67 motorcycles, two carrier of troops, four fire trucks, four ambulances and two patrol boats.
The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) also deployed a team from its Explosive and Ordinance Division (EOD) and “red teams” to ensure the effective performance of the security operations by covering the gaps that will be found during the entire activity.
“We want to achieve zero major incident during the entire congress,” said Senior Superintendent Remus Zacharias Canieso, deputy regional director for operations of the PRO-6.
Meanwhile, Iloilo City mayor Jose Espinosa III urged the cops to double their efforts in ensuring the peace and order in the city because “we will be the focus of the world next week.”
“We cannot afford to have news which is detrimental to our country, detrimental to our region, detrimental to our city and to our people,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the police forces will be able to successfully secure the congress, citing their experiences when Iloilo City hosted a series of meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 2016 and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) last year.
As of last week, already two ministers confirmed their attendance to the EAS, seven vice ministers, two director generals, and senior government officials from 11 countries.
There are also 900 confirmed delegates, 37 percent of whom are local participants and 63 foreign delegates. (PNA)
