MANILA – Over 9,000 cops and force multipliers will be deployed near the vicinity of the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City to provide security during the state of the nation address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Duterte on July 22.
Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director, said out of 9,162 security forces, 7,353 policemen will be coming from NCRPO, 1,100 from police regional offices, 300 from Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)’s Joint Task Force-National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) and 404 from other government agencies.
He said the 9,162 are actually part of the 15,000 cops and force multipliers who will be deployed around Metro Manila during the President’s fourth SONA.
Eleazar said he is directly supervising the SONA security preparations including the inspection of Commonwealth Avenue and IBP Road leading to the House of Representatives next week.
“There will be stakeholders meeting and dialogue next week to be followed on the ocular inspection site headed towards the House of Representative as well the area were the rallyists are set to have their program during SONA,” Eleazar told the Philippine News Agency on Sunday.
Eleazar said he already met with the security division of the House and Representatives and inter-agency units on the security matters inside and outside the Batasang Pambana.
He also met with leaders of anti-Duterte groups and they agreed to the rules on mass actions during the occasion.
The NCRPO chief said rallies will be allowed up to St. Peter Parish along Commonwealth Avenue “for as long as these are held peacefully.”
“As usual, our police will exercise maximum tolerance but at the same time we asked the militant groups to do their share and police their ranks to ensure a peaceful and orderly SONA day,” he said.
Aside from the vicinity of the House of Representatives, Eleazar said NCRPO will secure places of convergence like malls and churches as well as vital installations like terminals, airports, and seaports.
He also assured security will be provided in Mendiola, the United States Embassy and Edsa Shrine where rallies are expected to be held during SONA.
He said the NCRPO recorded no violent dispersal of protesters since Duterte assumed the presidency in 2016.
Eleazar said they have yet to detect any threat to security in relation to Duterte’s upcoming SONA.
“We assure the public that no threats to security monitored or reported so far. But the PNP remains vigilant to prevent the occurrence of crimes and respond to any call for assistance,” Eleazar added. (PNA)
