MANILA -- Close to 20,000 personnel from different government agencies will be deployed to provide security for sports events of the 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) that will be held in Metro Manila, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said on Sunday.
Outgoing NCRPO chief, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said they include augmentation from Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP), and joint task force NCR.
“Venues are all ready for the 30th SEA Games as per the results of the Security and Survey Inspection (SSI) conducted by respective chiefs of police and station commanders,” he told the Philippine News Agency on Sunday.
Citing the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc), Eleazar said 12 sports venues in Metro Manila will host 19 competitions.
He added they are banking on the success of various international events that were held in the Philippines.
“Assumed with experience of NCRPO handling several international events before, we are confident that we can provide security and we can make adjustments because of new protocols. In the past, we secured heads of state. This time, we will secure athletes and another set of protocols is required during the actual activity,” Eleazar earlier said on the sidelines of his meeting with police commanders.
Eleazar also assured they remain in constant coordination with officials in charge of the biennial sports meet events in Metro Manila.
“We have talked with those who belong to the Metro Manila cluster of the SEA games. We have set up our deployment plan and we still have a series of meetings that will be conducted as the date of the games approach. All police commanders will also attend brainstorming sessions for the events,” he said.
Aside from Metro Manila, the SEA Games venues are Laguna, Bulacan, Tagaytay, Subic and New Clark City sports complex in Capas, Tarlac.
According to Phisgoc, over 10,000 athletes from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor Leste, Singapore and Vietnam will participate in 543 sports events.
The Philippines will host for the fourth time the SEA Games from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 this year.
The country won its first-ever SEA Games overall championship in 2005, the last time it hosted the biennial meet.
The Philippines also hosted the 1981 and 1991 editions of the SEA Games.
Eleazar on Saturday relinquished his post as Metro Manila police chief and assumed the fourth-highest position in the PNP as the chief of the Directorial Staff.
Replacing Eleazar is Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, outgoing director of Police Regional Office 7 (Central Visayas). (PNA)
