FRIEND DINGGOY Cervantes of the Philippine Star wondered aloud, and most apprehensively: “Is there a serious security threat to Clark?”
We were having our caffeine fix at Go Nuts Do Nuts in SM City Clark waiting for the lighting of the hot air balloon replicas at the mall Wednesday afternoon.
Dinggoy referred to the heightened security at the access slot connecting Clark Freeport’s M. Roxas Highway to the mall.
As we discussed here a few issues back, the access slot was closed in the last week of January to – in the words of the Clark Development Corp. – “prevent smuggling.” The reason for the closure was later upgraded to “safety and security measures.”
So we dissed the CDC for its unreason – what large- and even medium-scale smuggling could obtain with but cars and vans passing the access slot. Voila, Friday last week, the access slot was reopened. To our consternation, publishing in our Monday issue a photo of the slot still closed!
Anyways, what’s the beef this time, we asked Dinggoy.
“Haven’t you noticed how stringent is the security check at the access slot? Car trunks need to be opened either way, to or from SM. And look at the number of guards there, never below six in number.”
Maybe, just maybe, there really is some security threat there. So we have to just bow our heads in compliance with what is required.
“Trouble is,” Dinggoy now flushed, “the increase in the number of guards and the strict security checks are only at the SM access slot. Not at the other gates.”
Yeah, we noticed too. There are at the most three guards at the Clark main gate. And one or two at the Friendship Gate, where I pass every night on my home to Xevera-Bacolor.
Yeah, the guards at Clark’s principal ingresses, including those at the Mabalacat Gate, don’t open car trunks and simply wave off motorists.
Some malicious thoughts, now.
The heightened security at the SM access slot plays up to the stupid notion I advanced here in that previous column that the Abu Sayyaf has embedded some operatives at SM City Clark and they plan to pass through the access road to sow terror at the Freeport. Okay, stupid, what’s next?
“The heightened security at the SM access slot maybe a direct response to all those insinuations you wrote about some CDC bigwigs not getting their way at SM which you speculated caused the closure of the access slot.” Now, now, it was clear in my piece that I did not believe those unkind thoughts, cognizant as I am of the integrity, honesty and righteousness of the CDC people.
It was definitely not Dinggoy but somebody said, “It’s true. It’s true.”
And what’s true, the CDC bigwigs crossing over the dark side?
“The heightened security at the SM access slot is a form of harassment on mall goers to get back at SM management.” Not Dinggoy saying this again.
To get back at SM for what?
“Whatever. Your CDC bigwigs lost face at the turnabout in the decision to close the access slot. So they acceded to open it but made sure that some people would suffer with those strict security checks, and hopefully lay the blame on SM.”
It’s true. It’s true. Your imagination runs wild. Its’ not Dinggoy I mean.
A guarded pass like that access slot is for the safety and security of all. Go ask the remnants of the plundering Clark cowboys and the smuggling ninjas.
We were having our caffeine fix at Go Nuts Do Nuts in SM City Clark waiting for the lighting of the hot air balloon replicas at the mall Wednesday afternoon.
Dinggoy referred to the heightened security at the access slot connecting Clark Freeport’s M. Roxas Highway to the mall.
As we discussed here a few issues back, the access slot was closed in the last week of January to – in the words of the Clark Development Corp. – “prevent smuggling.” The reason for the closure was later upgraded to “safety and security measures.”
So we dissed the CDC for its unreason – what large- and even medium-scale smuggling could obtain with but cars and vans passing the access slot. Voila, Friday last week, the access slot was reopened. To our consternation, publishing in our Monday issue a photo of the slot still closed!
Anyways, what’s the beef this time, we asked Dinggoy.
“Haven’t you noticed how stringent is the security check at the access slot? Car trunks need to be opened either way, to or from SM. And look at the number of guards there, never below six in number.”
Maybe, just maybe, there really is some security threat there. So we have to just bow our heads in compliance with what is required.
“Trouble is,” Dinggoy now flushed, “the increase in the number of guards and the strict security checks are only at the SM access slot. Not at the other gates.”
Yeah, we noticed too. There are at the most three guards at the Clark main gate. And one or two at the Friendship Gate, where I pass every night on my home to Xevera-Bacolor.
Yeah, the guards at Clark’s principal ingresses, including those at the Mabalacat Gate, don’t open car trunks and simply wave off motorists.
Some malicious thoughts, now.
The heightened security at the SM access slot plays up to the stupid notion I advanced here in that previous column that the Abu Sayyaf has embedded some operatives at SM City Clark and they plan to pass through the access road to sow terror at the Freeport. Okay, stupid, what’s next?
“The heightened security at the SM access slot maybe a direct response to all those insinuations you wrote about some CDC bigwigs not getting their way at SM which you speculated caused the closure of the access slot.” Now, now, it was clear in my piece that I did not believe those unkind thoughts, cognizant as I am of the integrity, honesty and righteousness of the CDC people.
It was definitely not Dinggoy but somebody said, “It’s true. It’s true.”
And what’s true, the CDC bigwigs crossing over the dark side?
“The heightened security at the SM access slot is a form of harassment on mall goers to get back at SM management.” Not Dinggoy saying this again.
To get back at SM for what?
“Whatever. Your CDC bigwigs lost face at the turnabout in the decision to close the access slot. So they acceded to open it but made sure that some people would suffer with those strict security checks, and hopefully lay the blame on SM.”
It’s true. It’s true. Your imagination runs wild. Its’ not Dinggoy I mean.
A guarded pass like that access slot is for the safety and security of all. Go ask the remnants of the plundering Clark cowboys and the smuggling ninjas.
