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Wednesday, January 28, 2003
AFP, PNP in high alert for Bolkiah's visit
By Harley Palangchao
BAGUIO -- Military and police authorities are on heightened alert as Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei visits the Philippine Military Academy Tuesday.
Bolkiah in an earlier meeting with President Arroyo agreed the importance of bilateral, regional and international cooperation in combating terrorism.
Heavily armed policemen will be deployed outside the PMA compound to beef up the security force of the military.
Bolkiah in his scheduled PMA visit is set to pardon 146 cadets and cadettes meted with minor punishments like touring, confinement and demerits.
Bolkiah, is himself had qualified for admission as cadet officer in Sandhurst Royal Military Academy in the United Kingdom and was commissioned as captain in 1967.
In his second visit to the country's premiere military institution, Bolkiah will be honored with a parade and review and will deliver a speech before the cadet corps, Marine Major Edgardo Arevalo, PMA information officer said.
Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes and a score of ministers from Brunei will be accompanying Sultan Bolkiah, who is expected to land at the Baguio Loakan Airport at around 10 Tuesday morning.
Arevalo said Bolkiah, who first visited the academy in 1993, wanted to witness the PMA cadets and to reminisce his days as a cadet.
The promotion and strengthening of relations with the outside world is also one of the priorities of Bolkiah, according to reports.
Bolkiah has traveled widely in Southeast Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the United States.
He addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Brunei Darussalam's admission to the UN in September 1984.
Meanwhile, President Arroyo welcomed the interest of Brunei Darussalam to accede to the Agreement on Information Exchange and Establishment of Communication Procedures as a significant step in forging a more determined and committed
regional response to terrorism in the Southeast Asian region.
The President and the Sultan agreed that the Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation signed in Brunei in August 2001 outlines a number of activities to enhance bilateral defense activities between their two countries.
The two leaders also said they were looking forward to the convening of the First Joint Working Committee, which will be held either in Brunei or the Philippines. Naval exercises between the two countries are scheduled to take place in Brunei in April this year.(Sun.Star Baguio) |
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