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Friday, March 28, 2003
GMA satisfied by Cebu moves
By Karen M. Flores/Linette C. Ramos/Elias O. Baquero
ALTHOUGH she raised her voice at a few officials at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) earlier in the day, President Arroyo was all praises for the peace and order and security measures in Cebu during her visit yesterday.
In a talk with reporters at a goat dispersal farm in Naga town, Arroyo even praised authorities for their handling of a bomb scare—which turned out to be a false alarm—at a fastfood restaurant in Lapu-Lapu City.
“It just shows people how alert those in charge of addressing contingencies are,” she noted.
From a command conference she attended at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, Cebu City before she proceeded to Naga, the President said she gathered that the island is a “hard target” for terrorists.
Arroyo said she was satisfied with the security measures being employed in the areas she visited during her overnight visit.
While looking at Gov. Pablo Garcia, who was seated beside her during the merienda she took in Barangay Pangdan, Naga, she said, “But Cebu has always been like this. It’s always a nice place to visit because things always go smoothly, it’s so progressive, so peaceful.”
Garcia smiled at this statement while Rep. Jose Gullas (Cebu, 1st district) led others in applauding the President.
Airport check
It was in a goat dispersal farm, Gullas’ project, where Arroyo sat with local officials for about an hour for a talk.
She complained, with a smile, however, that she was “not satisfied with everybody securing me.”
At the MCIA, she said members of her close-in security blocked her view during what was supposed to be an inspection of airport security.
“It looked okay there (the airport),” the President told reporters. “If I was calling the attention of anybody, it was our own very, very big party. No one could show me how they were being inspected, because nobody could get through our crowd, with the welcoming party and the media all there.”
Even with the suggestions she made to MCIA Authority General Manager Angelo Verdan, the President said she was satisfied with security measures implemented in the airport.
In a separate interview, Verdan said that while President Arroyo briefly raised her voice when an airport policeman failed to answer a question, she did not scold security personnel.
Verdan said Arroyo even praised MCIAA authorities when she saw three screening areas: at the entrance of the terminal building, the middle of the terminal where an X-ray machine is stationed and the pre-departure area.
16 points
The President was scheduled to land at the Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base, but transferred at the last minute to the neighboring MCIA, apparently to check security preparations first-hand.
Verdan, Supt. Art Evangelista and Supt. Jose Cosio welcomed the President and guided her to the terminal.
Since authorities in Cebu are already implementing security measures to prevent terrorist attacks, the President asked the police to review the 16-point counter-terrorism agenda of her administration and see which areas they can still improve on.
Arroyo also asked the media to participate in the campaign by not providing terrorists with information that can help them succeed in their plans to launch attacks.
Some 500 regional, provincial, city directors and municipal chiefs of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Eastern, Central and Western Visayas attended the command conference at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel.
The President also called the attention of top officials to the lack of intelligence coordination among various units in both the PNP and the military.
“The AFP and the PNP within a region must share intelligence reports. I have seen situations where the general headquarters doesn’t know what a brigade knows. I have seen situations where the PNP regional office does not have valuable information known by the area command intelligence service,” Arroyo said.
She also emphasized the importance of the cooperation of the police and the military, the local governments, the private sector and the community in maintaining peace and order and keeping threats of terrorism away.
In an interview, PNP Chief Hermogenes Ebdane said Cebu is generally peaceful compared to other provinces, except for the presence of the New People’s Army in some areas.
(March 28, 2003 issue)
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