AFP: No threats seen

MANILA, Philippines - The military is ready for any untoward incident during President Aquino’s last State of the Nation Address (SONA) today.

Rallies of militant groups will not pose a threat as long as they are done peacefully, according to Col. Vic Tomas, Joint Task Force National Capital Region deputy commander.

“Our report states that it will be generally peaceful but of course, we cannot prevent groups from expressing their sentiments,” he said.

“We are ready. We met with the PNP (Philippine National Police) and the MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority) and so far it’s all systems go.” 

Tomas urged activists to keep their demonstrations orderly.

“It’s okay to criticize but they should not cause disorder,” he said.

Police have not asked the military for additional troops, Tomas said.

“They (soldiers) will just be positioned in designated areas,” he said.

About 2,500 troops have been placed on standby,  ready to reinforce police  tasked to secure the Batasan complex, venue of the President’s SONA.

About 500 troops each from the General, Army, Air Force, and Navy headquarters are ready for deployment when needed.

The Army’s 2nd Infantry Division in Rizal province is also ready to send 500 troops.

Meanwhile, militant protesters will wear red during today’s  rally along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

Members of the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) vowed “to make red the most dominant color of the day” to air their grievances against the administration, despite the barbed wire, surveillance cameras and the 7,000-strong PNP crowd disturbance contingent.

They have much more enthusiasm than ever before, said BMP chairman Leody de Guzman.

“Living under the elitist policies of Aquino for five burdensome years has armed us with determination,” he said.

The labor sector bore the heaviest brunt of Aquino’s continuance of the neo-liberal economic agenda of his predecessors, De Guzman said.

“Five years of presidential blunders and consistent elitist policies have taken a toll on his leadership,” he said.             

“The lack of public admiration has forced Aquino to keep on parroting his so-called achievements of economic gains and inclusive growth in his yearly SONA.”