This weekend, the Committee on Security, Peace and Order, and Emergency Preparedness and Response or CSPOEPR successfully secured the arrival of the heads of states of the ASEAN and the leaders of its dialogue partners namely: US President Donald Trump, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
These prominent world leaders landed and were escorted safely to their respective hotels by our security personnel without any untoward incidents.
That is why I am taking this opportunity to commend the men and women of the CSPOEPR for the hard work that led to our leaders’ safe arrival in our country.
I also would like to commend the flexibility and capability of our men and women in carrying out their job despite some short notice changes from the original flight plans and travel arrangements.
While we have successfully secured their arrival and billeting, I call on all troopers especially those on the ground to not let their guards down and be alert for any eventualities.
To our public, we thank you for your patience and cooperation as we implement road lockdowns and traffic management schemes as we conduct ASEAN activities.
At the same time, the CSPOEPR reiterates that it respects the public’s right to peaceful assembly and as long as these are done at designated areas only.
We, however, remind our foreign tourists not to take part in any protest actions as this could serve as a ground for immediate deportation. While we are hospitable hosts, we expect you to abide by our laws and rules, and one of them is not to participate in rallies.
Let me also reiterate that all security personnel on duty for the ASEAN are not allowed to use their cellphones or any gadget during their tour of duty unless it is an emergency. We want you to focus on your job and not to compromise the safety of our guests. I also expect you to be always present in your post, to be snappy and courteous at all times. Let’s do our work seriously and with great passion and commitment.
We have done our homework. This is it. The real work starts today. This is our chance to show them what stuff we are made of by making the Philippines hosting of the ASEAN summit the most successful ever.
Thank you very much.
