Pro-Duterte group staging rally

MANILA, Philippines — At least 10,000 people will stage a rally today to support President Duterte during his 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasang Pambansa complex in Quezon City, a police official has said.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Major General Guillermo Eleazar yesterday said the pro-Duterte groups coordinated their plans as he directed them to occupy IBP Road along Sinagtala St., near Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Quezon City.

“We are preparing security plans on pro-Duterte groups, just like the anti-Duterte groups. We would treat them equally and anti-riot policemen would also arrest them once they violate the law,” said Eleazar in an interview.

The NCRPO director appealed to leaders of the pro-Duterte not to go near the anti-Duterte to taunt or shout invectives as this might incite trouble.

According to Eleazar, a phalanx of anti-riot policemen will be posted to separate the two groups to prevent any trouble.

Like the anti-Duterte groups, Eleazar also appealed to the pro-Duterte groups not to bring backpacks and bags or wear jackets as they may be sneaking in bombs or explosives.

“We are not actually banning them from using bags and backpacks or wearing of jackets but we are discouraging them. We would check these items once we have compelling reason to do so for the safety of everybody,” said Eleazar.

The 29,000-strong NCRPO was placed on full alert starting Saturday as 15,000 of them would be fielded to secure the Batasang Pambansa complex, where Duterte would address the two houses of Congress.

At least 9,162 anti-riot policemen would be deployed to secure the IBP building alone, while the rest would be manning their posts at the US embassy and Don Chino Roces bridge in Manila and the EDSA Shrine in Mandaluyong City.

According to Eleazar, the 15,000 policemen were in their pre-deployment positions yesterday and he visited some of them at IBP Road near Batasan Police Station 6 in Quezon City.

The cops, he said, would be deployed at about 5 a.m. today to areas where protesters would be allowed—up to the St. Peter Parish along Commonwealth Ave. for militant groups and at IBP road for pro-administration groups—“for as long as these are held peacefully.”

Eleazar said they also have a contingency plan, in coordination with the Presidential Security Group, in case President Duterte decides to face the protesters like he did after his SONA in 2017.

“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 noted that part of the security protocol is to jam cellular signals.

At least 15,000 protesters are expected to hold protest rallies but Eleazar said he had already met with their leaders and established guidelines to prevent violent confrontations.

He noted that there was no recorded violent dispersal since Duterte assumed the presidency in 2016. – With Ding Cervantes