MANILA -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday will deploy a total of 117 human rights officers to ensure that police officers would observe protocols during the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Duterte when handling militant groups.
Col. Joel Usman, deputy chief of the PNP-Human Rights Affairs Office (HRAO) said 103 HRAO personnel came from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) while 14 others from HRAO main office at Camp Crame.
The HRAO officers will act as observers of the protest actions in areas where policemen are deployed.
Almost all of the HRAO officers were deployed along Commonwealth Avenue where more than 15,000 anti-Duterte protesters are expected to hold a program in the afternoon.
"Our presence is important because right there, we would be able to advise or correct our CDM (Civil Disturbance Management) personnel if we see that they are already violating the rights of the protesters," he told reporters.
Usman, however, believes that the trainings and seminars for all CDM personnel in the past few years would still prevail to prevent violent confrontations between policemen and protesters.
Usman said they are confident that the protest actions would be peaceful due to the series of meetings between the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and the organizers of various anti-Duterte groups.
He, however, said the deployment of HRAO officers is just a precautionary measure for worst-case scenarios.
"This is part of our mandate to ensure that our PNP would observe the Police Operational Procedures in terms of respecting the human rights of the rallyists," Usman said.
Meanwhile, NCRPO chief, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said cops will be deployed on Commonwealth Avenue and IBP Road near the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.
Eleazar said protest rallies will be allowed “for as long as these are held peacefully”.
He assured that maximum tolerance will be exercised while asking the militant groups to police their ranks, noting there has been no violent dispersal since Duterte’s first SONA in 2016.
"We will adhere to a maximum tolerance policy as we manage the cause-oriented groups with democratic rights as our governing spirit," Eleazar said.
"Nevertheless, we will be vigilant for all possible terroristic or criminal elements who may want to take advantage of our disposition of maximum tolerance," he added.
He said 9,162 cops and force multipliers would be sent to secure the vicinity of the Batasang Pambansa.
He also assured that they have a contingency plan, in coordination with the Presidential Security Group (PSG), in case the President decides to face the protesters after delivering his SONA.
“Just like what happened two years ago, the President came out and we were really surprised because that was unexpected. But after that, we have prepared contingency measures in case he does it again,” he said.
Eleazar also assured that security will be provided in Mendiola, the US Embassy, and the Edsa Shrine, where rallies are expected during SONA. (PNA)
