ASEAN SUMMIT in CEBU

[grabehbebe]

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PNP says RP safe for Asian summits


Cebu is safe for this week’s Asian summits, the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief yesterday said as ministers began arriving amid continuing terrorism warnings.

“At this time I would say that there are no more terrorist threats. Cebu is peaceful,” PNP chief Director General Oscar Calderon told reporters after inspecting representatives of his 6,000-member summit security task force.

“Cebu is safe for the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit,” he said, ahead of the arrival of the leaders and ministers of the 10-member Asean and dialogue partners Australia, China, India, South Korea and New Zealand.

The Philippines called off the meetings at the last minute in December, citing a coming typhoon even though weather officials said the storm should not be a disruption. Several other nations had issued terrorism warnings instead.

Australia, Britain and Canada still have travel warnings for Cebu, citing possible terrorist attacks. After initial ministerial meetings, the summits proper will be held from Saturday to Monday.

Calderon said “at this time,” the Philippines had not arrested or deported anyone to ensure the security of the summits.
Aside from the police task force, Calderon said military units are deployed on the outskirts of Cebu.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff, General Hermogenes Esperon Jr. also visited the summit site yesterday, and he is “happy with the preparations made,” said AFP public information chief Lt. Co. Bartolome Bacarro.

Bacarro said military operations were also being undertaken outside of Cebu which are designed to keep “threat groups on the run to prevent them from staging any terror activity here in Cebu.”

Meanwhile, the police chief renewed a government warning that street protesters will not be allowed around the summit sites.
“We should offer the best of Cebu to our visitors and let us not wreck these summits,” Calderon said.

---http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/20070111nat4.html

[monrose29]

dahhhhhh mas ma ayo gali na-ay terrorist para magamit ng mga pulis.. samok anang treat2x oi.... pa suwaya sila para kitang katag.....

hasol ka ayo daghan istorya... nya daghan ka ayo mag apil2x......gubot na gali da-an daghan pa ka ayong mga comentarista.... unsa may kapuslanan anang summit kong inig ka human di gihapon ta magka hi usa...

wa man gali magka hi usa nga kitay mo host sa summit how much more kong ma human na nahh ng summit gubot pas lukot....

mo gawas dayon ng mga issue nga dako ang utang sa sugbo tungod sa gasto sa cicc, dako ang utang sa sugbo tungod sa gasto sa beautification, blahh blahh blahhh......

mga melitanteng pondok mo imbistigar sa gasto sa sugbo... mga melitanteng pondok mopa higayon og prayer rally.. mga melitanteng pondok...nag rally atubangan sa CICC....

permi nalang in ana nga atong makita sa balita.... mangapo nalang atong apo in ana lang gihapon ang dagan sa atong sugbo....

daghan koskos balangos.......

[grabehbebe]

Fight terror, Arroyo urges Asian nations

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday called on East Asian nations to fight terrorism and forge closer trade ties as she prepared to host the region’s annual summit.

President Arroyo’s statement came as finance and foreign ministers from across the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc began arriving in Cebu City amid tight security and a new terror warning from Australia.

With Asean set to agree on new measures to combat terrorism and plans for a single market by 2015, Mrs. Arroyo said leaders should “seize the moment and the momentum” to improve the lives of the region’s people.

“Great stakes are involved in the continuing integration of the entire East Asia,” she said in a statement, urging the region to “close ranks for a safer and more secure community.”

The Asean summit and a separate meeting with leaders from dialog partners Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea will take place from Saturday to Monday in Cebu.

“This meeting of leaders will be another golden opportunity to carve out new directions of development across borders, fighting poverty and building coalitions of technology,” she said. “We face a great future.”

But the Australian government yesterday imposed a new travel ban on its citizens, insisting that terrorist groups were “in the final stages of planning attacks” to disrupt the Asean summit.

“We strongly advise you not to travel to Cebu Province,” the advisory to Australians said. “Australians should avoid locations known to be targeted by terrorists, such as places of worship, restaurants, shopping malls, hotels, hostels, guesthouses, bars, clubs, outdoor markets and transport and associated infrastructure.”

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita played down the advisory, saying the attendance of all the Asean leaders was a sign of confidence in the country’s security measures.

“They will arrive in the country. What better vote of confidence can we ask for?” Ermita said, noting that even Australian Prime Minister John Howard was traveling to Cebu.

News

[feland]

waaaaaaaaaaa..... gi-bombahan ang mercado sa general santos ug daghan patay..... asta mga bata na-angol..........

[baron]

Well, this should also be a call to our public officials that the beautification of our roads should not only be done if we are to host these kinds of events. We should do this even after the summit, not only in Cebu but all over the country.

Heads of states started to arrive since yesterday. With the focus of the ASEAN Summit on regional development issues, the various meetings held will definitely work in favor of us in our pursuit of a better economy.

[kolz]

The Indian Prime Minister and the Indian IT Minister is coming to Cebu .....

One of the major talks that they will be bringing is to model what the Indians did for Bangalore in promoting Inida as the IT capital, I hope we can get Infosys to Cebu, the CEO of Infosys is also eyeing Cebu for investments ... I hope madayon... this would be a major boost to Cebu....

Btw... Sikat kaayo ang Cebu diris Singapore, even in India where I have been for the last week ... sige nag news diri about the coming ASEAN talks...

[baron]

AFP and PNP is on red alert due to ASEAN Summit. From what I've read in the news, it's not only in Cebu. The police authorities are exerting tight security measures all over the country to prevent any possible terror attacks. A lot of security personnel were dispersed just to secure the safety of the Summit and its participants and delegates. With the arrival of the heads of states, there can be no questions that the ASEAN Summit will push through.

Why not focus on the main concerns of the ASEAN Summit like regional development issues?

[tolstoi]

^^bai kolz..maayu unta dili negative ang news diha coz of the Zamboanga[?] bombings gahapon

[Ms.Beau]

The Indian Prime Minister and the Indian IT Minister is coming to Cebu .....

One of the major talks that they will be bringing is to model what the Indians did for Bangalore in promoting Inida as the IT capital, I hope we can get Infosys to Cebu, the CEO of Infosys is also eyeing Cebu for investments ... I hope madayon... this would be a major boost to Cebu....

Btw... Sikat kaayo ang Cebu diris Singapore, even in India where I have been for the last week ... sige nag news diri about the coming ASEAN talks...

Not So OT:

It looks like the Infosys leaders are one of the invited speakers for the upcoming Cebu Business Month (CBM), ICT Congress. The CBM 2007 hopes to ride in the ASEAN Summit momentum and has prepared programs of wider reach (linking Asian countries). More info can be read in the preliminary flyers being distributed at the CICC (media and foreign delegates). Details will be revealed by next month during CBM 2007's media and grand launching in Cebu and in Manila.

***Source: Cebu Chamber of Commerce staff

[potterboy]

grabe bitaw ang gasto. the preparation alone costs 1.2 billion pesos. and would be higher after the event. asa maning mga kwartaha kung kaayuhan na sa serbisyo ang hisgutan?

i have mixed feelings about this one. this would help the country's economy and especially cebu. but i just could not help wonder why this kind of amount won't surface when the taxpayers most needed it.