10,000 cops fielded for May 1 rallies

More than 10,000 policemen will be mobilized around Malacañang Palace on Wednesday during demonstrations to mark the anniversary of last year’s Labor Day riots, a senior police official said yesterday.

While authorities are confident the demonstrations would be peaceful, National Security Adviser Roilo Golez rejected suggestions to allow the followers of ousted President Joseph Estrada to stage their rally anywhere near the presidential palace.

"No way! No way!" he said, adding there was no need for any provocation that may lead to a repeat of last year’s riots which resulted in the death of four people and injured at least a hundred others.

He said President Arroyo is expected to participate in Labor Day celebrations in Cebu, Davao and at Rizal Park in Manila and would not be at Malacañang during the demonstrations.

"(But) we don’t see any problems. It’s more of a traffic problem because there are other groups which are planning to conduct rallies on that day in Metro Manila," he said.

Golez said groups that plan to hold demonstrations on Labor Day should coordinate with Metro Manila police chief Director Edgar Aglipay to avoid conflicts with other groups.

Manila police director Chief Superintendent Nicolas Pasinos said the authorities are prepared for any eventuality.

"We’re definitely more prepared than May 1 last year. We expect to have more than 10,000 policemen ready to defend the Palace," Pasinos said, adding that police have already put up barricades, rolled out barbed wires and deployed motorcycle policemen and prepared plans to begin deployment today, three days before May Day.

At the same time, acting Press Secretary Silvestre Afable brushed aside Estrada’s criticism of the arrest on Wednesday of Ronald Lumbao, who allegedly led the bloody riots last year.

"The arrest of Ronald Lumbao (was) done in the course of routine law enforcement. He is being accorded due process and humane treatment," Afable said.

He also assured the former president that the government maintains its policy of maximum tolerance to law-abiding citizens but violators of the law will be prosecuted.

"The police have been instructed to exercise maximum tolerance toward those who are peaceable and confine themselves to lawful protests. But those who transgress the law shall be dealt with sternly and uncompromisingly. We will not allow anarchy," Afable said. - Marichu Villanueva