QCPD declares full alert ahead of SONA
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) raised full alert ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.
“Our skeleton forces are there and we are preparing and ensuring that no one will go ahead of us to the places where we need to be deployed. We are also on full alert. We have been preparing for the past month. The preparations have been done so in the next 24 to 36 hours we will have a full implementation. It's a matter of implementation and actual execution of these plans,” QCPD director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III said over dzBB on Sunday.
Torre said that 8,000 cops will be deployed along Batasang Pambansa where 2,500 cops will be from QCPD while 3,500 will be coming from National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), Calabarzon, Central Luzon.
Other security personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Department of Health (DOH), Quezon city government and other government agencies will also be deployed.
Torre said they will also be distributing relief goods and viewing stations during the SONA.
“Tomorrow, our PCR (Police Community Relations) will go to selected barangays to setup viewing stations for the SONA so that our countrymen could hear what the President has to say,” he said.
“In these viewing stations, we are bringing the gratitude of the Presidetnt to the citizens in the form of boxes from the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development ). So we will distribute relief goods. Around 10,000 relief goods will be up for distribution and the government of Quezon City will distribute another 10,000 in different areas,” he added.
He said there will be no road closures on Commonwealth Avenue.
“There will just be portions that will be occupied by our CDM (Civil Disturbance Management) security forces and protesters who were given permits but we will not have road closures (in Commonwealth Avenue). One thing is sure, we will not block the way,'' said Torre.
Torre said they expect traffic ''to be a little heavy but not so heavy that the traffic will not be moving in Commonwealth. ''
Torre said they have held meetings with protesters since two weeks ago and have discussed the arrangement of their rallies during the SONA.
“There are regulations stated in their permits. There are three approved permits from the CHR (Commission on Human Rights) which will allow protesters to go to Tandang Sora corner Commonwealth Avenue. They will set up their stage there and hold a program. Then on the other side, the pro-government protesters will also hold a rally while the police will be in the center,” he said.
Torre urged Filipinos to listen to Marcos before rating his performance.
“Let’s listen to the President first. Let’s listen to what he has to say so that we have a basis for grading him in his next SONA next year. Let us not immediately judge him now. It’s like trying to kick someone out during the first grading in school. That’s not fair,” he said. Jaspearl Tan/DMS
