PNP, AFP raise alert status to red ahead of schedule

Hours after Paris was rocked by attacks that left more than 100 people dead, both the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines raised their alert status from "Blue" to "Red" ahead of schedule, amid security preparations for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit 2015 in Manila.

Both the PNP and the AFP were supposed to place their forces on red alert status on Sunday, a day before participants to the APEC Summit begin arriving in Manila.

In a statement, the PNP and the AFP said the early increase in alert status "was a matter of procedure, [especially] after any international terrorist incident such as the attacks [on targeted areas] in Paris, France."

Also, the statement said the AFP and the PNP extend their sincerest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the attacks early Saturday (Philippine time).

APEC Security planners are "seriously looking" into the attacks to ensure that current preparations are "appropriately upgraded," the statement added.

Meanwhile, a report on "Balitanghali" said the PNP and the AFP conducted on Saturday a security dry run for the APEC summit,  to test the response time to emergency scenarios and identify which aspects of the security plan needed fine-tuning.

GMA News reporter John Consulta said the signal and speed of CCTV cameras and communications equipment also underwent testing.

But security planners admitted that protest actions have remained of greatest concern, Consulta said.

On the other hand, director for operations and APEC security task force head Chief Supt. Jonathan Miano warned foreigners who plan to join protest actions that they will have to be processed first in a police station before they are taken to the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

"Kung pupunta sila dito para mag-rally, nag-violate po sila ng ating batas. Kung nahuli sila sa Manila, dadalhin sila sa Manila police station. Kung nahuli sila sa Pasay, doon sila sa Pasay dadalhin," Miano said.

Moreover, he said Roxas Boulevard and EDSA will only be closed during the dry run for this Saturday.

"Makararanas [ang mga motorista] ng tinatawag nating stop-and-go [traffic situation]. 'Pag dadaan yung convoy, isasara namin 'tong kalsada na 'to, pero 'pag wala namang dumadaan na convoy, pwede rin nilang gamitin," Miano said. — Rie Takumi/LBG, GMA News