It’s off to Makati for elite SAF

Eighty members of the elite Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) are set to be deployed to the Makati City central business district (CBD) today.

The SAF is expected to beef up the security at the country’s financial center, which is also home to the diplomatic community, following the robbery at the Citibank Center last Aug. 25.

Several major banks, embassies, and multinational companies hold office in the Makati CBD.

Southern Police District (SPD) Director, Chief Superintendent Jose Gutierrez, Jr. said the deployment also aims to deter terrorist activities and military adventurism that made Makati their targets.

The SAF will be stationed at key areas in the financial center to be supported by members of the SPD’s Special Reaction Unit and Makati police officers, Gutierrez said.

Members of the elite group would be in their blue uniforms and not in military fatigues, so civilians would not be intimidated by their presence at the busy CBD, he added.

At 4 p.m. today , Mayor Jejomar Binay, PNP chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. and other ranking police officials "will brief the elite team of their mission in Makati at the Makati City Hall quadrangle," a statement from the city government said.

The statement also said Binay requested for additional security from the PNP following the Citibank robbery.

The mayor added the city government will support the operation of the SAF teams. These include the construction of barracks, food expenses and other logistic requirements.

"That Makati is the heart of business and financial activity in the country and is home of foreign executives and diplomats and justify the need for the PNP to send more personnel to secure the CBD," Binay said in the statement.

At least 15 heavily armed men stormed the Citibank Center located at the busy Paseo de Roxas Avenue in broad daylight and carted away an undetermined amount of cash.

Police said one of the identified suspects was a member of the notorious Kuratong Baleleng gang.