The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has placed on standby its law enforcement service personnel for road safety and traffic management duties for the country’s hosting of International Federation Basketball (FIBA) World Cup 2023 starting on Friday, Aug. 25.
LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II said he has directed the agency’s officials from the Central Office to coordinate with the other government agencies in securing the roads leading to and from the three main venues of the highly-anticipated basketball event—the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, the Mall of Asia in Pasay City, and the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan where the opening ceremony will be held on August 25.
Land Transportation Office-Law Enforcement Service Director Francis Almora briefs his men on the duties and responsibilities that they would perform for the entire duration of the FIBA World Cup event starting on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. (photo: LTO)
“Filipinos are known for their love of basketball so we expect a lot of people to go to the venues, especially during the scheduled play dates of the Philippine team. Our personnel will be on the road to assist for the entire duration of this highly-anticipated international event,” said Mendoza.
Francis Almora, director of the LTO Law Enforcement Service (LES), said all the patrol cars and patrol motorcycles will be deployed and placed on standby for escorting players and FIBA officials, traffic management and other duties that would be assigned to the LTO.
“The instruction of Assistant Secretary Mendoza is for us to be in full force in assisting other government agencies for the event. So the LTO will be there to do its job in coordination with other law enforcement agencies,” said Almora.
He said their personnel will assist in providing road security escorts for the players from their hotels and to the venues, and vice versa: “After that, they will be assisting in traffic management near the venues.”
“We have committed all our vehicles and personnel and they will be always on standby 24 hours until the conclusion of this event,” said Almora.
The FIBA World Cup Philippine leg will run from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10.
Aside from the LTO, both the Philippine National Police and the Metropolitan Manila Development (MMDA) announced earlier that they would deoloy thousands of their personnel for FIBA event duties.