1,707 security forces deployed for ASEAN meeting in Iloilo

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A total of 1,707 police and security personnel will secure delegates and attendees of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and related meetings in Iloilo City.

They were officially deployed following a send-off ceremony Friday morning at the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 headquarters at Camp Martin Delgado, Iloilo City.

The deployment comprises 1,547 police personnel and 160 members from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Bureau of Fire Protection.

PRO-6 said 477 of the 1,547 police personnel are augmentation forces from the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO), Capiz PPO, Guimaras PPO, and Antique PPO.

Brigadier Gen. Josefino Ligan, Western Visayas police chief, said the personnel will be deployed before, during, and after Iloilo City’s hosting of the 49th Meeting of the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration from Feb. 24 to 27.

He stressed that Friday’s activity is more than a send-off ceremony but a recognition of the weight and honor of the responsibility the personnel will carry.

Ligan told the cops and security forces that they would stand at the frontline of the nation’s commitment, not only to regional cooperation, but to international stability and progress.

“This is more than a deployment; it is a mission that reflects our country’s professionalism and credibility on the global stage,” he said.

Ligan expressed confidence that the security forces could accomplish the task, citing the region’s experience hosting past ASEAN events in Boracay, Aklan, and in Iloilo City.

“We have consistently shown strong competence, seamless coordination, and operational excellence,” he said.

Ligan noted that their presence symbolizes discipline, preparedness, and unity.

“While delegates focus on policies and economic strategies, it is your vigilance and dedication that will create the secure environment where meaningful dialogue can flourish. In many ways, you are the silent guardians of diplomacy,” he said.

Ligan added that security work often goes unnoticed when done perfectly, “and that is the highest compliment.”

Meanwhile, to ease possible traffic congestion, face-to-face classes in Iloilo City will be suspended from Feb. 25 to 27.

Col. Wilbert Parilla, Iloilo City police chief, confirmed that Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu approved the recommendation for the class suspension.

Parilla clarified that the suspension was a recommendation from the police, with the final decision resting with the mayor.

He said the recommendation aims to facilitate the movement of high-level delegation convoys, given that some activities may take place outside Iloilo City proper.