Security preparations in high gear for Xi visit

MANILA, Philippines — Authorities are gearing up for the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the country next week and at least 5,500 policemen are set to be deployed to ensure his and his delegation’s safety and security.

National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Guillermo Eleazar said they are in coordination with the Chinese embassy to prepare for Xi’s visit scheduled on Nov. 20 to 21. 

Eleazar said the NCRPO will be on full alert status starting Tuesday, the first day of the Chinese leader’s visit in the country. 

The public can expect heavy traffic in Manila and other areas due to road closures in line with activities related to the visit, police said.

Eleazar said they are banking on security templates used during past high-profile events including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summits held in 2017 and 2015.

The police force is also preparing for possible lightning rallies and will deploy civil disturbance management units.

Telco, other ‘gifts’ for Philippines

Telecommunications will be among the topics to be taken up during Xi’s visit, sources said, and that more “gifts” for the Philippines will be announced aside from increased infrastructure investments amounting to billions of dollars.

The sources said Xi’s upcoming visit to Manila is seen to hasten the implementation of China-funded infrastructure projects amid observations that President Duterte’s pivot to China is not paying off after all. 

Xi’s visit also comes at a time when state-owned China Telecommunications Corp. or China Telecom has entered into a consortium with Davao City-based tycoon Dennis Uy’s Udenna Corp. and Chelsea Logistics, named as Mindanao Islamic Telephone Corp. (Misatel), in a bid to be the third telco to operate in the country.

China Telecom is reportedly the largest fixed line service and third largest mobile telecommunications firm in China.

The National Telecommunications Commission has declared Misatel winner in the bidding for the third telco held last week, besting two other companies, PT&T and Sear Telecom of former Ilocos Sur governor Chavit Singson.

Singson’s Sear was disqualified for its failure to pay the P700-million security bond required of the bidding. 

Sear and PT&T have both questioned Misatel’s selection as third telco.

Xi is arriving in Manila from Brunei Darussalam for the state visit.

The President, on the other hand, is expected to return to the country during the weekend from Papua New Guinea after cutting short his attendance at the 2018 APEC summit.

Xi’s visit also coincides with the ASEAN-China Dialogue on the disputed South China Sea issue headed by the Philippines, specifically in coming up with a draft code of conduct to govern the behavior of claimant countries in the area amid China’s massive land reclamation activities.