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THE
National Police and the Armed Forces on Sunday completed
the security preparations for Monday’s State of the
Nation Address (Sona) by President Arroyo and placed
their troops in Metro Manila on red alert.
Security
forces have also mobilized a total of more than 6,000
troops, including two battalions of military strike
force, to ensure that Monday’s address by the President
before members of Congress will not be used by
antigovernment groups to launch destabilization moves.
On
Sunday morning the National Police chief, Director
General Avelino Razon Jr., inspected police contingents
from four regions who are now in Camp Crame, Quezon
City, and would be deployed for Monday’s security and
crowd-maintenance tasks.
Razon
reminded the policemen, who attended seminars on human
rights, to observe the rights of the rallyists who are
expected to troop to the Batasang Pambansa Complex and
hold similar demonstrations in other parts of Metro
Manila.
The
policemen came from the police commands in the Ilocos,
Cordillera, Cagayan Valley and Southern Tagalog, where
red alert has also been declared.
When red
alert is declared, all leaves and furloughs are canceled
and all personnel are required to be in the posts
round-the-clock.
Razon
said half of the policemen will undertake
crowd-dispersal management duties, while the rest would
be deployed for peace and order and security jobs.
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces chief of staff, Gen.
Alexander Yano, said the military went on red alert as
of Sunday as it continues to monitor groups that may
take advantage of the situation and sow mayhem.
Yano
added that the nationwide alert for its troops was
normal for every Sona.
Maj.
Gen. Arsenio Arugay, Armed Forces National Capital
Region Command (NCRCom) chief, said the unit would
continue to monitor the New People’s Army, which is
expected to bring forces to Metro Manila and infiltrate
the rallies and create chaos.
He said
the NCRCom has put on a standby two battalions of a
strike force that would be deployed in the event of
trouble erupting during the Sona.
Another
six battalions of soldiers would also beef up the police
in the crowd-management tasks. July 27 no demonstrations
will be allowed on the Chino Roces Bridge (formerly
Mendiola Bridge) on Monday.
This was
stressed by Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, as he called on
the authorities to avoid violent dispersals, while
reiterating the city’s standing policy to allow rallies
in the area only during weekends and holidays, so as not
to inconvenience and pose danger on the students whose
schools are located there and disrupt their classes.
(With TJ Agcaoili) |
