PRO-7 tightens SONA security

CEBU, Philippines — Authorities are implementing tight security in Cebu as President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. delivers his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Manila today.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia will be at the Batasang Pambansa complex to witness the President delivers his third SONA before a joint session of Congress at 4 p.m.

The Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 announced its full readiness to respond to any eventuality related to the SONA.

Also, in a press release, PRO-7 assured the public that numerous police personnel are deployed in key areas, with measures in place to ensure safety and prevent security issues during the president's address.

“The State of the Nation Address is an opportunity for us to listen to the report of our beloved President on the gains that we have achieved as one nation, and at the same time, for us to contribute more actively in the achievement of our collective goal towards peace and prosperity,” said Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin, PRO-7 regional director.

On the matter about security, Aberin said they, the police in Central Visayas, are eager to hear the President's report on the country's peace and order situation.

“The neutralization of threat groups and the declining number of crimes have been the most apparent product of the PNP’s rights-based approach in policing, focused on bringing more police officers to the streets to be part of the community they serve,” reads a portion of PrO-7’s press release.

Meanwhile, several police stations in Cebu have initiated security operations to prevent any disruptions during President Marcos' third SONA.

In Alcoy and Carcar City, police officers distributed flyers and held dialogues on disaster safety, anti-criminality measures, anti-illegal drugs, anti-terrorism, and the SONA 2024 with motorcycle-for-hire drivers and the residents of Barangay Poblacion.

These efforts “aim to raise awareness about laws related to illegal drugs, criminality, terrorism, and municipal ordinances through positive information dissemination to help maintain peace and order”.

In Asturias town, the police and the Municipality of Asturias Traffic Enforcement (MATE) office conducted an “Oplan Sita” and conducted checkpoints at the national highways in Barangay Poblacion.

This initiative is part of the PNP’s intensified anti-criminality campaign designed to deter illegal activities and ensure community safety and security in today’s SONA.

Dissatisfaction

Cause-oriented groups, though, painted a different picture on President Marcos’ three years in office.

In a “people’s forum” at the St. Alphonsus Convent Conference Room in Redemptorist Church, Cebu City, cause-oriented groups expressed their grievances on the unrealized promises of the president.

The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) Cebu Chairperson Nick Abasolo voiced strong dissatisfaction on the unmet promise of P20 per kilo rice, and called for real land reform and local industrial growth.

In a Facebook post, he questioned the government's “import practices for worsening food insecurity” saying, “Sa krisis sa hisgutanan sa pagkaon, ang gihimo ni Bongbong Marcos, mao ang importasyon, nga para namong mag-uuma, usa ka band-aid nga solusyon.”

“Dako kaayo ni nga tamparos sa atoang pagka-Pilipino isip usa ka nasud nga agrikultural,” Abasolo said.

Meanwhile, Howell Villacrucis, Alyansa sa mga Mamumuo sa Sugbo-Kilusang Mayo Uno (AMA Sugbo-KMU) secretary general, said the president made no promises to the labor sector from the start, leaving essential worker needs, like fair wages and job security. unaddressed.

“Simple ra ang pangayo sa mamumuo: una ang makabuhing suholan; ikaduha ana ang regular na trabaoho. Ug sa kana nga mga hisgutanan, wala na matubag ni Marcos,” Villacrusis added.

Recent data from IBON Foundation showed that a typical family needs about P1,200 a day to meet their basic needs, much higher than the current P468 daily minimum wage in Central Visayas.

PISTON-Cebu Chairman Greg Perez also criticized the government’s PUV Modernization Program, noting that the reliance on costly imported vehicles burdens drivers and small operators, threatening their livelihoods.

He also called for public the adoption of transportation policies that are progressive, nationalist, and focused on the masses, in the light of rising oil prices.

Other, Cebu-based advocacy groups, such as Cebu Urban Poor Women's League (CUPWOL), National Union of Students of the Philippines Cebu, Karapatan Central Visayas, Assert Development Initiatives, Promotion of Church People's Response Cebu (PCPR Cebu) also amplified their demands on a range of issues from social inequality to human rights.

Today, these groups would hold their own “People’s SONA,’ starting with a march rally from the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda at 9 a.m., to present their demands and to provide an alternative viewpoint to Marcos’ official SONA. — /RHM (FREEMAN)