200 cops to be deployed for Rico Yan’s funeral

Some 200 uniformed policemen will be deployed today to help ensure an orderly and peaceful burial for actor Rico Yan.

Metro Manila police chief Director Edgar Aglipay said uniformed policemen will be deployed at La Salle-Greenhills in Mandaluyong City and along the route of Yan’s funeral motorcade to the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City to secure the expected heavy influx of fans and sympathizers.

Yesterday, President Arroyo joined the family and fans of the popular actor in a Mass celebrated at his wake in La Salle-Greenhills.

The President paid her last respects to Yan whom she earlier cited as one of the youth leaders who showed up during the Jan. 20, 2001 EDSA II uprising against deposed President Joseph Estrada.

Aglipay said the actor’s family decided to allow only 2,500 people to pay their last respects to Yan hours before his interment today. Movie industry people and other friends of the late matinee idol will be reserved designated slots. For the fans, it will be "first-come, first-served."

Yan died in his sleep on Good Friday last week. Doctors diagnosed the cause of death as acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis. He was 27.

Mass for the actor is scheduled at 9 a.m. at the La Salle-Greenhills gym. In the event that the crowd becomes unruly, police will close the school gates during the necrological service.

The motorcade will follow immediately after the Mass. The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) estimated that 200 vehicles will be joining the motorcade.

From La Salle, the motorcade will move along Connecticut street, turn right on EDSA, left on South Superhighway, straight through the South Luzon Expressway up to the Sucat exit en route to Manila Memorial Park.

In addition to the regular deployment of traffic personnel, the MMDA said there will be 30 personnel from the Southern Police District, 25 from the Eastern Police District, and six motorcycle units from the Philippine National Police-Traffic Enforcement Group.

The MMDA has also committed its medical and emergency vehicles for the motorcade while the Philippine National Construction Corp. will provide assistance in its area of jurisdiction.

The Parañaque City police will deploy a total of 130 personnel at the Manila Memorial Park area.

As of presstime, thousands of the actor’s fans continued to pour into the La Salle gym to have a last glimpse of Yan.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Arroyo asked private and radio stations to play on air the music compositions of National Artists Lucio San Pedro and Levi Celerio who passed away one after the other this week.

"I would like to repeat my call that the music of Lucio San Pedro and Levi Celerio be played so that our people will know the very beautiful legacies they left behind," the President urged in her Radyo Bombo program yesterday. — Non Alquitran, Marvin Sy, Marichu Villanueva