Bomb experts deployed in canvassing sites

More protest actions are expected in Metro Manila as losing local candidates in tightly contested areas are reportedly planning to conduct mass ralies to question the results of the elections.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Ricardo de Leon said yesterday that additional bomb experts have been deployed in canvassing sites, especially at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City where the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is canvassing the votes.

"I’ve deployed additional bomb experts in canvassing areas. They were told to respond immediately on all threatening calls regardless of the results," said De Leon.

De Leon admitted that they have been receiving bomb threats at canvassing centers "every now and then."

"We are closely monitoring areas where the election results are tightly contested. The losing candidates are agitating their supporters to conduct protest actions and we are prepared for them," said De Leon.

He noted that the deployment of bomb experts is in addition to the security measures put in place to thwart "Oplan No Proclamation" allegedly hatched against the Arroyo administration.

Elements of the explosives and ordnance divisions (EODs), augmented by K-9 bomb sniffing dogs, were dispatched earlier to canvassing sites but failed to find any explosives.

De Leon emphasized that the "no permit, no rally" policy will strictly be implemented in Metro Manila in the next few days. "We will not hesitate to implement the law if national security is at stake," said De Leon.

"We will be protecting the interest of the majority and not the losing cause of a few."

According to De Leon, the NCRPO has monitored the planned re-grouping of supporters of losing candidates to stage a large-scale rallies such as the "Victory March" of the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) standard bearer Fernando Poe Jr. along Ayala Ave., in Makati City last Tuesday.

Some 8,000 residents along the railroad tracks from Pasong Tamo up to Gate 3 in Fort Bonifacio reportedly joined the rally.

Police disclosed that at least eight barangay watchmen were ordered to gather 100 residents to attend the rally for P200 each. The pay off was allegedly done inside the fire station located at the corner of Ayala and Buendia Avenues.

De Leon refused to confirm reports that the massive rallies scheduled in the next few days are being financed by Poe’s camp.

"We received no reports that Poe’s camp is funding the planned rallies. We are going to verify that from our own end," De Leon said.

The NCRPO chief said that in Metro Manila, only winning candidates in Pasig City and Caloocan City were not yet proclaimed as of yesterday because of pending cases against the winners.