APEC Summit 2015, a Huge Success N a Post-APEC 2015 Scenario Assessment, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Police Director Igeneral Ricardo C
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APEC Summit 2015, a huge success n a post-APEC 2015 scenario assessment, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Police Director IGeneral Ricardo C. Marquez, declared the hosting of the APEC Summit successful and orderly with no untoward incident except for some clashes between anti-riot policemen and militant groups. PDG Marquez has tasked the APEC-Security Task Force to identify best practices and the security aspects that could be improved on for similar big events that will be hosted by the country in the future. “We put our best foot forward in the historic event and we are very happy with the results,” PDG Marquez said as he thanked the involvement and cooperation of the twenty member-economies in the security preparations that started as early as December last year. The National Capital Region Police Offce (NCRPO) deployed 18,000 of its personnel and were placed on full alert level as the police and military tightened their watch on seaports, airports, rail systems and vital installations, particularly in areas where APEC activities are to be held, as the world leaders started arriving in Manila. USA and Russia. Specifcally, they had requested that there should be no other movement when their leaders start using the roads. All 21 leaders/heads of state, including President Benigno S. Aquino III, were billeted in 14 fve-star hotels located on Roxas Boulevard, Makati Central Business District and Ortigas, thus, the entire vicinity around Roxas Boulevard and the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) at Cultural Center Complex where the two-day Summit meeting was held was cordoned off while the combined security forces threw a tight security blanket over the cities of Manila and Pasay to ensure that no breaches would occur. More than 800 personnel of the Highway Patrol Group were assigned to man the routes taken by the dignitaries and accompanying offcial convoys, while the Presidential Security Group (PSG) worked with their foreign counterparts to secure all 21 government heads, with the Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG) securing the ministers. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) provided able support to the PNP, lending manpower and equipment. The PNP had requested for air, land and maritime assets of the military which were in place 100 percent weeks before the meetings. A gun ban was also effectively implemented by the PNP, suspending all the permits-to-carry frearms of licensed gun owners in the entire duration of the APEC Leaders’ Meeting from November 16 to 20. Only the members of the PNP, AFP and other law enforcement agencies, performing offcial duties and in agency-prescribed uniforms, were allowed to carry frearms. Ambassador Marciano A. Paynor Jr., director general of the APEC 2015 National Organizing Council, described the security considerations of the APEC Leaders’ Meeting as 20 times more challenging than Pope Francis’ January visit or even the frst APEC Summit held in Subic in 1996. The (Photo by the Malacañang Photo Bureau) coordinated Islamic State (IS) terrorist attacks in Paris which happened a few days before the APEC Manila Summit had prompted Malacañang, military and police offcials to fortify security plans for the APEC Summit which was attended by a total of 8,756 local and foreign participants, including the 21 high-level economic leaders. There is no doubt that Manila’s successful hosting of the APEC Meeting has further raised the stature of the country before the global development arena. While the government spent a total of P10 billion for the year-long APEC hosting, the economy grew after the holding of the regional economic gathering. Losses incurred during the APEC Leaders’ Meeting will be recovered eventually in terms of continuing and sustained growth and development of the Philippine economy as a favored investment and tourism destination. The Philippines also exceeded its projected tourist arrivals during the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week alone, with tourist arrivals reaching more than 11,000, exceeding the government’s target of 10,000 tourists. The spike in tourist arrivals and the consequent increase in consumer spending were also felt during the other APEC ministerial meetings held in other parts of the country such as in Boracay and Iloilo City in Western Visayas; Tagaytay City in Southern Tagalog; Cebu in Central Visayas; and Bagac, Bataan, and Clark, Pampanga in Central Luzon, the venue of the frst APEC Senior Offcials’ Meeting early this year where businessmen spent billions of pesos to refurbish the city’s hotels and convention centers. Businessmen also expressed belief that the country’s hosting of the APEC Summit is a boon to the Philippine economy. The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry noted that the country’s hosting would entail a signifcant investment from the government. The government investing a lot during each of the year-long APEC meetings around the country means that the benefts at the end of the day would be more than the cost. Page 11 WHAT’S INSIDE WHAT’S INSIDE WHAT’S INSIDE WHAT’S INSIDE WHAT’S INSIDE WHAT’S INSIDE PRO 11 apprehends National level Most Wanted Taguig City police net Highland cops bag 25 PNP continues to be a strong Indonesia’s Most Wanted Person nabbed in Taytay, Bulgarian ATM cloner Wanted Persons in a week UN Peacekeeping Mission Partner Person Palawan Page 2 Page 3 Page 5 Page 8 Page 10 POLICE DIGEST 2 NEWS NCR crime statistics slides down during APEC week CIDG police arrest Applying the "whole-of-government four, seize drugs, guns approach" in ensuring a safe and secure conduct of the APEC week, the Philippine National and explosives Police recorded a decreasing trend on street crimes from November 9 to 19, 2015. Police Chief Superintendent Victor Deona, According to the National Capital Region CIDG Director, announced on November 14, Police Offce’s (NCRPO) Regional Investigation 2015 at about 1:30 in the morning that members and Detective Management Division (RIDMD) of the CIDG Southern Mindanao, Tacurong chief, Police Senior Superintendent Joaquin CPS and Sultan Kudarat PPO arrested the R. Alva, the 138 street crime incidents from leader and a member of the “Gaballao Criminal November 9 to 12 recorded a downtrend Gang” during a buy-bust operation in Brgy San with 120 incidents during the APEC Week Pablo, Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat. (November 16 to 19). Identifed as Gelbert Gaballo and Alex A notable decrease in theft incidents Alvaro, the leader and member, respectively, was also recorded, from 56 incidents from they were caught in possession of three small November 9 to 12, down to 44 incidents in and two large sachets of suspected shabu APEC week. weighing more or less 5.5 grams with an Likewise, robbery incidents decreased from estimated market value of Php10,000.00. Also 35 incidents to 31 incidents from November 9 confscated were cash money believed to be to 12 compared to the week after. proceeds from illegal drugs, three Php100 According to PNP spokesperson Police bills marked money, drug paraphernalia, and a Chief Superintendent Wilben M Mayor, During the said period, the PNP stood frm Offce (PIO), thus, ensuring a zero-risk APEC mobile phone. the notable decrease in street crimes is due in its intensifed anti-criminality campaign Economic Leaders Meeting (AELM) and the Both Gaballo and Alvaro are now facing to intensifed police presence and the anti- through the Directorate for Police Community continuous fow of information to both the a case for violation of RA 9165 (Dangerous criminality campaign made prior to the conduct Relations (DPCR), the Police Community public and the PNP personnel on what to expect Drugs Law). of the historic APEC week. Relations Group and Public Information during the APEC Week. (PNP-PIO) Meanwhile, two men were collared by CIDG Iloilo detectives, together with the Iloilo PRO-COR boosts anti-illegal drugs operations thru Oplan Lambat-Sibat City Police, during the implementation of a Search Warrant (SW) for violation of RA 10591 Camp Dangwa, La Trinidad, Benguet — suspects escaped after sensing the arrival of the the east direction. Operatives immediately ran (Firearms and Ammunition Law) and RA 9516 For decades, the PNP, like other organizations, operatives. after the suspects for possible arrest but this (Illegal Possession of Explosives) in Iloilo City, has fought the war on drugs with squads of In another operation, police personnel of the turned negative. in the afternoon of November 15, 2015. police, drug raids and jail time. 3rd Maneuver Company of the Regional Public All seized and confscated items were PSSupt Peter Naboye, Regional Chief, PCSupt Ulysses J. Abellera, Acting Safety Battalion based in Talaca, Agbannawag, documented in the presence of a media identifed the two men as Marcelino Melendez, Regional Director PRO-COR, said, that recently Tabuk City, Kalinga confscated drugs representative and barangay offcials of the 46 years old, and Rizaldo Dela Rosa, 31 years PRO-Cordillera operatives arrested fve drug paraphernalia, one Nokia cellular phone, one concerned unit and are now under the custody old, wherein confscated from their possession couriers and seized assorted illegal drugs and used aluminum foil sheet with white crystalline of the operating units. were one 9mm KG9 sub-machine pistol, two drugs paraphernalia following the confscation substance residue suspected to be shabu, and a “This new police strategy against cal. 38 revolvers, two fragmentation grenades, of 36 bricks of marijuana dried leaves and two Honda XRM motorcycle with no plate number lawlessness prescribes the principles and several ammunition, and 31 small sachets motorcycles during a police operation in the owned by a certain Eddie Bagtang, during their guidelines that the commanders must follow of shabu weighing 5 grams amounting to night of November 4, 2015 in the province of mobile patrol along Barangay Lacnog, Tabuk to reduce crimes, and improve public safety Php30,000.00 in street value.