CLARK FREEPORT – The police will not allow protest rallies inside this freeport and its immediate environs while the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation- Senior Officers’ Meeting 1 (APECSOM 1) is ongoing here.
This was the assurance made by acting Central Luzon (CL) regional police director Chief Supt. Ronald Santos, during the media briefing at the Bale Balita here Monday.
Santos said all mayors in the immediate environs of this freeport will not grant any rally permit but in case militant groups still push through with their protest rallies, the police will “exercise maximum tolerance” as he called on their leaders to conduct dialogues with the PNP for a smooth exercise of their democratic rights.
“Pwede natin pag usapan yon para walanggulo at aalalayan pa natin sila (We can talk about their plans to avoid chaos and we will even assist them),” Santos said.
The acting CL police director also clarified that some roads inside this freeport as well as outside were closed because of the ongoing APEC-SOM 1 meetings as he appealed for more patience from motorists and the general public to allow for the successful holding of the APECSOM 1 here.
He said the PNP’s main task is to secure the area and protect the VIPs.
P225 per day
Meanwhile, Santos said only a measly P225 per day for food allowance has been allocated by the national government for each 2,800 policemen deployed by the Central Luzon RegionalPolice Office for the security coverage of the APEC-SOM 1 in this freeport.
Santos, said the policemen will be deployed on a 24-hour basis for the two-week duration of the APEC-SOM 1 which started on January 26 and ends on February 7. Some 10 police dogs, including bomb sniffing K9s, are also deployed as part of the security group.
Santos also said gasoline allowance for police vehicles has also been allocated by the government. The acting CL police director said governors from various CL provinces have allocated funds for the APEC-SOM 1 security to augment the meager allowance from the government but this will have to go through the CL RPO’s financial department for proper accounting as per rules of the Commission on Audit.
He said he is sensitive to the welfare of the 2,800 strong PEC SOM 1 security component as their commander.
