NCRPO on full alert for P-Noy's SONA

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome has placed the Metro Manila police force on full alert in preparation for the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Aquino today.

Bartolome yesterday directed all police chiefs under the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) to ensure order in their respective areas of jurisdiction during the SONA.

“All unit commanders are strictly reminded to secure all PNP camps and offices, vital installations, economic key points and places of convergence of people,” said Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr.

Bartolome said police units in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Cordillera Administrative Region remained on heightened alert status. The police regions in Mindanao remain on full alert.

“In connection with the forthcoming SONA, where various threat groups, militant, and cause oriented groups might take advantage of the situation to conduct simultaneous rallies and demonstrations to air their grievances and demands, the alert status will be observed,” Bartolome said.

He said the police regional offices that are on heightened alert are given the discretion to upgrade their alert level based on the prevailing peace and order situation in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

Bartolome said all is set for the SONA today. He added that he just gave last minute instruction to NCRPO to secure all areas.

“They will concentrate in the SONA, but they must also conduct patrol in areas outside SONA vicinity to make sure criminal elements would not be able to attack in other areas.”

Policemen who will be deployed to maintain peace and order near the Batasan Pambansa complex during the SONA will not be allowed to carry their firearms to ensure human rights of protesters are respected.

NCRPO would deploy at least 7,000 policemen to secure the Batasang Pambansa building during the 3rd SONA of Aquino.

NCRPO chief Director Alan Purisima said they monitored no specific threats in today’s SONA and militants and other left-leaning groups would be allowed to air their grievances against the government as long as within the confines of the country’s laws.

Purisima pointed out, however, that the protesters would only be allowed to march along Gotesco Mall along Commonwealth Ave., and no further.

So far, only Renato Reyes’ Bayan Muna, had applied for a rally permit at the City Hall of Quezon City.

“We will be implementing the no permit, no rally policy but they cannot go beyond the Gotesco Mall, as agreed upon during our last dialogue,” said Purisima in an interview.

The NCRPO chief said the protest rallies are allowed until 6 p.m. but “we are very willing to extend it by several hours if they behaved within the confines of the law and not harm people.”

Purisima vowed to arrest “troublemakers” and charge them in court.

He gave a strict order for members of the Civil Disturbance Management (CDM) team not to bring their service firearms when deployed to contain protesters, said PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr.

“The very definite directive of Director Purisima is that he will not allow any personnel of the NCRPO to carry their firearms whether they are in uniform or in civilian clothes,” Cerbo explained.

Cerbo refused to reveal the PNP inputs for the SONA, saying he does not want to preempt the presidential message.

He said that based on the initial setup, Purisima would limit the anti-SONA protesters at the Ever Gotesco Mall along Commonwealth Avenue near the Quezon City Police District Station 6. – With Rey Galupo, Non Alquitran