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Saturday, December 16, 2006
No final word yet on summit dates: Paynor
CEBU CITY -- Asean member-countries have yet to confirm the final date of the summit, although they have all agreed to hold the meetings in Cebu next year.
Philippine Ambassador to the Asean Marciano Paynor Jr., secretary-general of the national organizing committee and chairman of the Cebu organizing committee, was earlier quoted as saying that all 10 leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) already confirmed their attendance on Jan. 11 to 14.
Sun.Star Network Online's 12th Asean Summit Watch
But in a text message to Sun.Star Friday, Paynor clarified: "All 10 have agreed in principle to hold the meetings and are only finalizing their own schedules, as are the six dialogue partners. Let's just wait a little bit more before we categorically give you the dates and participants."
The Philippine Government decided at the last minute to postpone the Southeast Asian and East Asian leaders' summits that would have been held from Dec. 10 to 14.
Organizers continue to stress that typhoon Seniang, which passed by Cebu, was the reason for the decision although speculations that it was due terrorist threat refuse to die down.
Military forces have intensified operations against suspected al-Qaida-linked militants to prevent a possible attack when postponed twin Asian summits involving 16 heads of state take place next month in Cebu, a top security official said Thursday.
The covert counter-terrorist operations by police and military forces were under way in several southern areas, including Jolo island, Zamboanga peninsula and in Manila, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he's not authorized to talk to the media.
Intelligence teams have not monitored any presence of the militants, including those from the local Abu Sayyaf group or the Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiyah, in Cebu but security measures were in place to prevent their entry, he said.
Intelligence assessments showed that the militants have planned to disrupt the summits but were hampered by a lack of funds and government offensives that have kept them mostly on the run, the official said.
Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khaddafy Janjalani and top Indonesian terror suspect Dulmatin, two militants who were reported to have planned attacks against the Asean summits, have not been able to escape from Jolo due to massive US-backed offensives. Other militants were also on the run from troops in nearby Maguindanao province, he said.
Security officials said the postponement were influenced by concerns over terror threats, which were bolstered by British and other foreign travel advisories which warned that militants may be in the "final stages of planning attacks."
A ranking police official, who also refused to be named, said planned anti-government protests this week, along with fresh coup rumors, may have also been considered by Arroyo.
But Paynor has repeatedly stressed that the member-countries-Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam- supported the decision to postpone the summits.
A minister from Japan was quoted in his blog as saying that the postponement showed instability in the country, but Paynor said had this been so, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would have cancelled his visit to the Philippines but did not.
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, co-chairperson of the Cebu organizing committee alongside Paynor, refused to say Friday anything about the issue or any other issues for that matter.
She will just focus on her work and make herself scarce to reporters, announced Capitol consultant on information Pablo John Garcia, as she deems it unnecessary to comment on things.
"This is in line with her philosophy nga dili ang sulti maoy pabuhatun, kung dili ang buhat maoy pasultiun," said Pablo John.
Pablo John said his sister realized that no matter what she says, "there are certain influential members of media who can't be satisfied and still finds fault in everything that she does or says."
He said anyone can still get documents or any information through him, and members of media can still cover activities and it would be up to them to report what she is doing.
"She will continue to work as hard as she always has, probably even harder because that's the language that people understand," Pablo John told reporters.
The preparations for the Asean summit have been highlighted with several criticisms against the P515-million Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).
"Have you ever stopped to wonder that all those who commented have never been to the CICC and did not see how small the leak was and did not bother to tell the people that they have never ever been to CICC," said Pablo John. (JPM of Sun.Star Cebu/AP)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (December 16, 2006 issue)
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