Taking homeless off the streets ahead of ASEAN Summit also a security measure —Paynor

Taking homeless people off the streets in time for next month's ASEAN Summit could also be viewed as a security measure, according to Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr., director general for operations of the ASEAN 2017 National Organizing Council on Wednesday.

Paynor said unscrupulous individuals could use homeless people or their guise to sow terror or sabotage the event.

"If you look at it from the security standpoint, yes, because they can easily be infiltrated by people who might want to... kunwari, there is a homeless na nagtutulak ng kariton, tapos pala may bomba yun. Anong gagawin natin?" he said.

Paynor made the statement  when asked to confirm whether the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has been "rescuing" street children as part of its preparations for the ASEAN meetings, which will be attended by 21 world leaders.

He, however, said the government has been addressing the problem of homeless people even before the preparations for the ASEAN Summit started.

"It's a perennial problem regardless, whether's there's ASEAN or not, we have homeless, we have street children. The issue must be addressed not because of ASEAN but because it's a problem," he said.

In 2015, the DSWD was criticized for allegedly "hiding" homeless families in Batangas resort one day before the beginning of Pope Francis' Philippine visit.

The DSWD was again criticized for the same reason later that year, this time in anticipation of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting.

Then-DSWD chief Dinky Soliman denied the allegation. The DSWD, she said, has been helping street dwellers well before the international events in question. —KBK, GMA News