Fidel Ramos defends APEC security preparations in RP

Fidel Ramos defends APEC security preparations in RP

SUBIC, Philippines (AFP): President Fidel Ramos yesterday
defended security measures for the summit of the Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, saying the country had "the
right to take actions if peace is at stake."

Ramos, speaking at the inauguration of the new airport
passenger terminal at Subic Bay, where the summit will be held,
was responding to accusations of human rights violations and
militarization raised by leftist groups threatening to disrupt
the APEC summit.

Among other things, the government banned dozens of foreign
activists from entering the country during the summit, including
East Timorese independence activist Jose Ramos Horta, winner of
the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize.

Ramos welcomed dissenting views on issues involving APEC, but
said that his government "have the right to take actions if peace
is at stake."

"We can assure all APEC delegations, whether government or
from the private sector ... complete safety, comfort, hospitality
and a harmonious kind of environment that will make everyone more
friendly and productive," Ramos said.

The Philippines government views the APEC summit as a showcase
and Filipino businessman Antonio Trillo was reported yesterday to
have spent up to US$300 million to renovate the Summit Hall,
which includes a Moslem prayer room, and to construct a 12-
building complex of hotels in Subic.

The 18 APEC leaders and representatives will be housed in 21
villas specially constructed for the APEC summit, a five-minute
drive from the Summit Hall.

"Although we are 100 percent sure that the leaders are fully
secured, we do not want to compromise their safety once they
decide to travel back to their respective villas to be able to
pray," said Trillo.

Chefs, waiters, and concierges who will be assigned to the
summit have been thoroughly subjected to background checks to
make sure there will be no attempts to "sabotage" the leaders'
food, Trillo said in a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Twenty of the Philippines' leading doctors have been "assigned
as full time, close-in physicians" to the APEC leaders and
representatives, the report said.

The new Subic international airport terminal cost $12.6
million and was constructed in nine months by a joint Filipino-
Japanese venture, Summa Kumagai Inc.

The terminal can handle 700 passengers at any time and is
equipped with the latest anti-terrorist security systems and
navigational and radar systems partly funded by a World Bank
loan, Subic authorities said.

APEC groups Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong
Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New
Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand
and the United States.