Thursday, October 12, 2006
Marine unit to be sent to Cebu to secure Asean summit (8:32 p.m.)
MANILA -- The Armed Forces is deploying a battalion from the Philippine Marine Corps to Cebu, venue of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit, following the recent bombings in Central Mindanao that left scores of people dead and injured.
Armed Forces Chief Hermogenes Esperon said the Marine unit will arrive in Cebu City when transport facilities are available.
The summit, to be attended by government leaders in the region, is scheduled in December.
Esperon however did not say where the Marine battalion, composed of at least 500 men, will be coming from. “We are deploying at this point another Marine battalion to Cebu to augment our security forces thereat,” he said.
He clarified that security forces have not received any specific information about possible plans by any terrorist group to strike in Cebu. He said the deployment is being made because the Armed Forces wants to be sure with the security in Cebu. (VR/Sunnex) |
