70 rounded up in Manila 'cleanup' drive

Police rounded up at least 70 more persons in Manila's downtown Sta. Cruz and Quiapo districts in a continuing "cleanup" drive of the city Tuesday. Radio dzBB reported that the roundup marked the return of Superintendent Romulo Sapitula to the helm of the Manila Police District (MPD) Station 3, which covers the two districts. But Sapitula was quick to stress that the roundup was not connected to the ongoing 40th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Ministerial Meeting, which runs until Aug. 2. The Asean meeting is being held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City. In past weeks, authorities had undertaken a thorough "cleanup" of Metro Manila, cleaning the streets of families living there, and painting the roofs of houses near the international airport. Sapitula and his men rounded up the residents in the Blumentritt, Plaza Miranda and Quiapo areas. He said many of the residents had been linked to small-time thefts and muggings. - GMANews.TV