Follow the rule of law, PNP chief tells SONA protesters
ANTI-GOVERNMENT protesters were asked by the Philippine National Police chief General Rommel Francisco D. Marbil to follow the rule of law.
Around 22,000 policemen will be deployed to secure the SONA even as the PNP chief assured the public that they are taking all necessary measures to ensure the peaceful and orderly holding of the event.
Gen. Marbil, however, assured that all members of PNP Civil Disturbance Management (CDM) units that will be deployed outside Batasang Pambansa complex will exercise maximum tolerance in dealing with the protesters.
The 3-day Metro Manila-wide gun ban will remain in effect until 12:00 midnight of July 22 as part of the SONA security measures. Last week, Gen. Marbil ordered the temporary suspension of all Permit-to-Carry-Firearms-Outside-of-Residence issued to licensed gun holders in the National Capital Region.
PNP spokesperson, Colonel Jean Fajardo said the National Capital Region Police Office headed by Major Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. is focusing on their security measures in the vicinity of the House of Representatives.
Security inside the Congress building is the main responsibility of the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Representatives and the Presidential Security Group.
The Quezon City Police District headed by Brigadier Gen. Redrico A. Maranan is the main NCRPO unit tasked to guard the Batasan Pambansa complex.
The event security is being supervised by Task Force SONA 2024 overall chairman, PNP Deputy Chief for Operations, Lieutenant Gen. Michael John F. Dubria and Nartatez.
Police are not leaving anything to chances and are ensuring that all threats and concerns during the President’s SONA will be fully addressed.
Maj. Gen. Nartatez said that nearly 18,000 members of the Metro Manila police force will be deployed to secure the vicinity of Batasan Pambansa and other areas leading to it before and during the SONA.
The NCRPO men will be backed up by 1,879 policemen from nearby police regional offices including those in Central Luzon and Calabarzon region and 2,771 other personnel from the Armed Forces, the Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the Metro Manila Development Authority.
Troops from the Manila, Quezon City, Northern, Eastern and Southern Police Districts and the NCRPO Regional Mobile Force Battalion as well as different Metro Manila-based national operational support units will be among those deployed during the event.
The Reactionary Standby Support Force of the PNP national headquarters in Camp Crame will also be readied for deployment as the need arises.
Apart from the Batasang Pambansa complex, which houses the House of Representatives in Q.C., police will also fully secure other vital installations particularly the roads leading to Malacañang Palace especially the Chino Roces St. (formerly Mendiola) Bridge, EDSA Shrine, Liwasang Bonifacio, Welcome Rotonda and other places of major convergence as well as public utility terminals including airports, seaports and bus stations as well as shopping malls, public markets and churches during the period.
