Sunday, October 29, 2006 Despite 4,500 soldiers for summit, Cebu ‘won’t look like a war zone’
THE commanding general of the Central Command assured Cebuanos that the 4,500 military officers, including 500 marines, will not be roaming Cebu’s streets in full battle gear.
“You will see a different set of soldiers. Normally, you see them fully armed with all their equipment. That is not the case here,” Major Gen. Cardozo Luna told reporters yesterday.
Luna welcomed the 500-strong Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT) 7 and the more than 470 Army soldiers from the 46th Infantry Battalion yesterday morning.
They will form part of Task Force Alalay, the AFP’s security force for the Asean summit, which will be held for the first time in Cebu in December.
Other members of the task force are the Philippine Army’s Light Reaction Company of the Special Operations Command, the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion under Centcom, the 2nd Tactical Operations Wing and the Special Operation Wing of the Philippine Air Force, K-9 teams, Explosive and Ordnance Division teams, Civil Disturbance Management Unit, reservists, medical service units and intelligence task groups.
The Presidential Security Group is also expected to provide close-in security, billet security, security officers, liaison officers and VIP drivers.
Tall order
They will be securing 3,000 delegates, including 17 heads of state. On top of that, they are also anticipating the arrival of 2,000 foreign and local journalists who will be covering the event.
Luna said there was no need for the public to worry about Cebu looking like a war zone until the Asean summit.
“They did not come here for combat. They have a peace-keeping mission,” he said.
The soldiers are still going to be armed “to be prepared” for any eventuality, though.
Luna declined to say where they will be deployed but said they will be supporting the Philippine National Police.
The MBLT 7, headed by Col. Martin Pinto, came from the Marine headquarters in Fort Bonifacio while the 46th IB, headed by Lt. Col. Luis Vincent Tacderas, came from the 8th Infantry Division in Catbalogan, Samar.
Luna urged his men to “aim for perfection” in making sure that the summit takes place without a hitch or disturbance.
“We will aim for zero defect. Our vision is that at the end of this mission, we will be congratulating each other for a job well done. By that time, we are looking forward to a merry Christmas and a happy new year,” he said told the troops.
He also reminded them that they were expected to maintain a high standard of decorum and discipline.
“So much is expected of us and we have to deliver. I trust the officers, each and everyone of you, the men and women of the AFP that you will come up with your best effort. The worst thing that can happen is that we, who are supposed to be the solutions to the problem, become the problem ourselves,” he said.
He told the troops that the task was a welcome opportunity for them “to serve the country in a unique capacity” in ensuring the event will go smoothly.
“We cannot afford any single untoward incident to happen from now up to the end of the Asean summit, when all local and foreign guests have gone out of the region,” he said. (MEA)
