NCRPO on full alert for SONA

Manila, Philippines - Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Raul Bacalzo said Metro Manila was placed on full alert status yesterday in preparation for the second State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Aquino tomorrow.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Alan Purisima met yesterday with his five district directors at the NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City to finalize their traffic and security preparations for the SONA.

“We fine-tuned several loopholes in our security preparations and I can say now that we are ready for any eventuality come Monday,” Purisima said in an interview.

The NCRPO chief cited intelligence reports that there are no imminent threats during the SONA.

Under a full alert, all leaves, furloughs and rest and recreation of policemen are cancelled.

Purisima said he expects peaceful and orderly protest rallies during the SONA as he agreed with militant groups to move the police barricade in front of the St. Peter Church, which is some 500 meters away from last year’s site at Ever Gotesco mall, on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

“They are nearer now to the Batasan complex as compared to the previous SONA. I appealed to them to police their own ranks to prevent violence from erupting,” said Purisima referring to the leaders of the militant groups.

The 7,000 NCRPO policemen to be fielded during the SONA would be augmented by at least 1,800 policemen from the PNP offices in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4-A, 4-B and 5.

The augmentation forces will arrive today and will be deployed in Quezon City tomorrow, Purisima said.

Major rerouting

Meanwhile, police will enforce major rerouting in the vicinity of the Batasan Complex and other major thoroughfares leading to the area tomorrow.

In a statement, the PNP said all northbound public utility vehicles and other motorists on Commonwealth Avenue should turn left at the Shopwise U-turn slot and take the southbound counter-flow until they reach the San Simon U-turn slot. They then should turn left and take the northbound normal counter-flow.

The PNP said an alternate route would be from EDSA then to Congressional Avenue, then left to Mindanao Avenue. From there, turn right to Old Sauyo Road, then left to Chestnut, right to Dahlia, left to Regalado, and then left going to Commonwealth Avenue.

Another alternate route is from the Quezon City Memorial Circle via North Avenue, then turn right to Mindanao Avenue, right to Old Sauyo Road, left to Chestnut, right to Dahlia, left to Regalado, and left toward Commonwealth Avenue.

Also from the Quezon City Memorial Circle, motorists can take Visayas Avenue, then turn left to Tandang Sora Avenue, right to Mindanao Avenue, right to Old Sauyo Road, left to Chestnut, right to Dahlia, left to Regalado, and finally left toward Commonwealth Avenue.

All eight southbound lanes of Commonwealth Avenue are passable to all types of vehicles. From the San Simon U-turn slot, the lanes will be divided into two to give way to northbound vehicles until they reach the Metro Disco U-turn slot where normal traffic flow will resume.

Another alternate route is from Commonwealth Avenue, turn right at Regalado, turn right at Dahlia, turn left at Chestnut, turn right to Old Sauyo Road, and then turn left going to Mindanao Avenue.

Bacalzo called on the organizers of the protest rallies to police their own ranks. Although the law enforcers were given instruction to observe maximum tolerance in dealing with the rallyists, Bacalzo said the no-permit, no-rally policy will be strictly enforced.

However, militant groups led by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said that despite the Quezon City government’s denial of their application for a rally permit on Batasan Road, they will still push through with a march in the area to present their demands while the President delivers his SONA tomorrow. - With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Mike Frialde, Rhodina Villanueva

“It’s a rally, not a football match,” said Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes after the group received a letter dated July 22 from the Quezon City Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS) saying that their application for a rally permit was denied, and that the group can hold their rally at the football field within the Quezon City Hall compound.

Bayan assailed what it described as the “illegal, arbitrary and ridiculous curtailment of the people’s right to peaceably assemble on SONA day.”

“We vehemently reject this ridiculous proposal from the Quezon City DPOS. It is not right that pro-administration groups are being allowed as close to the Sandiganbayan, while groups critical of the regime are being asked to hold a rally at the football field at the city hall, where we will be several kilometers from the Batasan Road,” Reyes said.

He said they find the arrangement unacceptable and that they will continue with their planned march to Batasan Road.

Bayan said that under the law, the group had already secured a permit to march to Batasan when the Quezon City government failed to act on their application within the required two days under Batas Pambansa 880. Failure to act on an application means that it is deemed granted.

Last Friday, Bayan filed a petition before the Quezon City regional trial court questioning the belated denial of the permit and the restrictions on the right of the people to peaceably assemble. - With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Mike Frialde, Rhodina Villanueva