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THE
elaborate and tight security preparations taken by the
government in relation to Wednesday’s sentencing of
former President Joseph Estrada proved to be a useless
undertaking and a waste of taxpayers’ money as not one
of the scenarios factored in occurred or took place.
As such,
most of the people asked who happened to monitor the
whole-day development branded the tight security that
was adopted by both the military and the Philippine
National Police as “overkill.”
“The
government is too afraid of unseen things . . . events
that it thinks will happen,” a reporter quipped.
On
Wednesday, the National Police deployed more than 4,000
policemen in Metro Manila, setting up barricades and
checkpoints in strategic areas, and even discreetly
monitored some groups and individuals.
On the
eve of the decision, battle-ready soldiers, backed up by
Presidential Security Group members, even sealed all
points leading to Malacañang with barb-wire fences and
container vans, fearful that some Estrada supporters
would stray near the Palace.
Two days
earlier, the National Police leadership declared a
nationwide alert in order “to generate personnel” for
the scenario that never came. All vital installations
were secured by policemen.
On
Tuesday the Armed Forces, which committed a total of
2,000 men to the security task, gathered its contingent
in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
The
soldiers were joined by their overall commander, a
war-ready Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., and were
complemented by 16 armored personnel carriers, an attack
helicopter and trucks.
Gen.
Esperon, Armed Forces chief of staff, placed the whole
military on red alert. When red alert is declared, all
leaves and furloughs are cancelled and all personnel are
required to be in their stations round the clock.
Still,
the much-feared disturbance, the most serious of which
is the alleged plan to over throw the government and the
terror activities to be launched by the usual suspect,
the New People’s Army, did not materialize. |
