MANILA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) will impose a ban on guns, sirens and blinkers to ensure the safety of over 10,000 athletes and participants of the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games which will kick off on Nov. 30.
Philippine Police Lieutenant General Archie Gamboa, PNP officer-in-charge, said on Tuesday that a gun ban will be enforced in the sports venues in the country's main Luzon island from Nov. 20 until Dec. 14.
Only policemen, military personnel and other law enforcers will be allowed to carry firearms, Gamboa said. He added that the participants of the SEA Games Shooting Competition are also exempted from the ban.
"This is part of our security preparations for the upcoming SEA Games to ensure that no gun-related incident will happen and ensure the safety of all local and foreign delegates," he said.
Gamboa said sirens and blinkers, and unauthorized motorcycle escorts will also be banned.
"We are imposing a ban on indiscriminate use of prohibited sirens, bells, horns, whistles, or similar gadgets that makes loud sounds as well as motorcycle security escorts," Gamboa said.
He said only patrol vehicles and motorcycles, police cars, emergency vehicles like ambulances and firetrucks are allowed to use sirens, blinkers, and similar devices.
According to Gamboa, a total of 20,000 personnel from different Philippine government agencies will provide security and safety services to athletes from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor Leste, Singapore and Vietnam who will participate in the biennial multi-sport event.
"The PNP contingent will also provide security coverage in the different venues of engagement of the athletes while other PNP units will provide public safety assistance necessary for order maintenance and police services for crowd control, vehicular and pedestrian traffic direction, route, parking, and venue security," Gamboa added.
According to the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee, there are over 10,000 athletes from 11 countries will participate in some 540 sports events.
