OFFICERS of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) held a dialogue with organizers of rallies during the last State-of-the-Nation-Address of President Rodrigo Duterte on July 26.

The Metro Manila police chief said they are talking with the community leaders and their other stakeholders to ensure that there will be peace and order during the President’s address and the opening of the 2nd regular session of the 18th Congress.

Some 15,000 policemen and “force multipliers” will be deployed in and around Batasan Pambansa to ensure that Inter-Agency Task Force protocols and security and traffic management plans will be fully implemented, officials said.

“We are talking with community leaders and different stakeholders to keep in their minds that their cooperation with us will lead to an orderly and peaceful SONA 2021,” Maj. Gen. Danao said.

Quezon City Police District officials led by Brigadier Gen. Antonio C. Yarra talked with representatives from Bayan, MATA and ACT party-list groups, the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, Sanlakas, Pasang Masda and Partido Lakas ng Masa the other day.

Danao said he has directed all NCRPO and QCPD personnel involved in the SONA security preparations to maintain their vigilance and alertness during the event.

He also assured that despite the new health and safety protocols, the NCRPO will exert all efforts to prevent any untoward incidents.

“The success of the SONA will also be the success of the nation as a whole, “the NCRPO director said.

According to Yarra, they agreed to have a ‘small group meeting’ prior to the SONA to finalize what best practice should be done to ensure that there will be peaceful street assemblies during the President’s address.

Philippine National Police chief General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar earlier assured their 100 percent preparedness to secure the event.

The Presidential Security Group will be in-charge of the security inside the Batasan Pambansa in Q.C. while the QCPD and the NCRPO will be providing perimeter protection during the event.

“Palapit nang palapit ang SONA ng ating Pangulo at batid ng inyong PNP ang matinding interes ng ating mga kababayan sa kanyang mensahe kaya naman patuloy ang aming paghahanda para dito,” said Gen. Eleazar.

“Naging tahimik at maayos ang mga nakalipas na SONA ng ating Pangulo at ito ang nagsisilbing template ng inyong kapulisan sa darating na Hulyo 26, kabilang ang maayos na pakikipag-usap sa lahat ng grupo,” he added.

Gen. Eleazar was instrumental in ensuring zero casualty and zero incident during President Duterte’s first two SONAs in 2016 and 2017 when he was still the Q.C. Police District director and two other SONAs when he was the NCRPO director from 2018 to 2019.