Central Visayas police getting ready for 2017 ASEAN Summit

CEBU, Philippines - The Police Regional Office-7 is now preparing for the security of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in 2017, following the recent confirmation from the Department of Tourism- Central Visayas that the 10-state meeting will take place in Cebu and Bohol.

Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, deputy regional director for operations of PRO-7, said they have been initially coordinating with the different police headquarters to ensure that ASEAN delegates will be safe from their arrival up to their departure from these provinces.

"Diri sa Cebu ug sa Bohol ang areas sa PRO-7, considered nga venue, this April. We are preparing as early as of  this time para we can also make use of the training, the resources that is being prepared for the ASEAN Summit for the earlier major events that we will be having, example is the Sinulog [Festival] and the Miss Universe [event]," Lawas said.

It was DOT-7 officer-in-charge Judy Gabato who earlier confirmed that Cebu and Bohol will host some of the meetings under the ASEAN Summit.

Police personnel should be prepared for the activities as the events such as the ASEAN Summit and Miss Universe will possibly be covered by international media, aside from the local media.

Lawas said that based on their early information, the meetings of senior officials from different countries, as well as ministers and ASEAN leaders, will be held in Central Visayas.

"[There] will be one in Bohol and five in Cebu," Lawas said, but he has yet to identify the places for the assemblies.

The ASEAN is a regional organization composed of 10 Southeast Asian countries that promotes inter-governmental cooperation and facilitates integration for its members.

The organization, established on August 8, 1967, has members from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and eventually expanded its membership to Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

The Philippines has hosted the third ASEAN Summit in December 1987, which took place in Manila, and the 12th ASEAN Summit in November 2007 in Cebu City. (FREEMAN)