‘Peaceful, orderly SONA protests’

Rally leaders agreed not to occupy main roads like the Commonwealth Avenue and the IBP Road while NCRPO chief Director Ricardo de Leon assured them that maximum tolerance and patience will be exercised by 5,000 anti-riot policemen deployed for the SONA.

The Metro police chief and rally leaders met yesterday at the Sulo Hotel in Quezon City, where both sides aired and addressed various concerns.

"We exchanged ideas and arrived at a consensus to make the rally peaceful and orderly," De Leon said.

Among those who showed up at the meeting were leaders of the Alternatiba, Sanlakas and Akbayan.

The rally leaders claimed at least 8,000 of their members would gather in Quezon City for the SONA rally. As of yesterday, they have yet to secure a rally permit from the local government.

De Leon said he offered the rallyists an open area in front of the Ever Gotesco Mall on Commonwealth Avenue.

"The stretch of the Commonwealth and IBP Road are strictly off limits to them. We will disperse them if they insist on marching toward the said areas," De Leon told The Star.

During the meeting, the Metro police chief announced the filing of administrative cases against PO3 Michael Marinas, PO3 Vicente Cornelio, PO3 Calvin Capuno and PO2 Adel Lucera for inflicting harm on rallyists during a recent dispersal at Plaza Miranda.

The cops were slapped with grave misconduct, which could mean a maximum penalty of dismissal from the police service.

The Metro police chief vowed that the incident would not happen again.

"We must respect the rights of all individuals, particularly their right to peaceably assemble and seek redress of their grievances," said De Leon as he called on rallyists to police their ranks and observe rules and regulations governing such assemblies.

To prevent such incidents from happening again, De Leon ordered ground commanders of civil disturbance management units to designate a negotiating team, to be headed by an officer.

"Negotiating teams and rally leaders will talk to prevent confrontations," De Leon said.

He said CDM units of the Central, Eastern and Western Police Districts are ready for the SONA security. The CPD contingent will be deployed in front of the Batasan complex, the EPD at the EDSA Shrine while the WPD will guard the Don Chino Roces bridge in Mendiola, which is a few meters away from Malacanang Palace.

He said showdown inspections of the CDM units of the three police districts was completed last Wednesday.