Card. Vidal: "Terrorism must not strike ASEAN summit"
The cardinal, archbishop of Cebu City, will "host" the twelfth summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He has made an appeal through AsiaNews to "those without scruples" so that nothing will happen to Asian leaders gathered in the Philippines.
Cebu City (AsiaNews) The Archbishop of Cebu City, Cardinal Ricardo Vidal is praying that the upcoming ASEAN meeting will be a success and he has appealed to "all those who may want to strike leaders of Asian nations: stay away from the meeting, which is taking place here to achieve good."
Speaking to AsiaNews, the cardinal said the upcoming meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit, due to be held in Cebu from 11 to 14 December, could be a "target for terrorists with scruples. We must pray nothing happens."
The 12th ASEAN gathering brings together political and economic leaders of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, East Timor and the Philippines. Topics on the agenda include poverty reduction and the war on terrorism.
Cardinal Vidal said: "For the past two weeks, a special prayer for the success of the ASEAN Summit has been said at the end of Mass in Cebu churches. I urge police and local officials to ensure adequate security measures for the delegates and I ask my co-citizens to help so that this summit may proceed without hitches.
In the cardinal's view, "the authorities should work to make the entire country secure so foreign delegates will feel confident they are safe while attending the summit."
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