SONA rarity: A rally-free Mendiola

For the first time in several years, no rallies or marches, whether pro- or anti-government, were conducted in the vicinity of the Chino Roces bridge (formerly Mendiola) when President Arroyo delivered her State of the Nation Address (SONA) yesterday.

Senior Inspector Wilfredo Estrella, chief of the Manila Police District’sTactical Operations Center said that as far as he can remember, Mendiola has been a traditional venue for either the militant groups or government supporters to stage rallies during the President’s SONA.

"No rallyists converged in Mendiola yesterday," Estrella said.

However, a contingent of anti-riot forces remained at Mendiola the entire day yesterday in case anti-Arroyo groups from the Batasan complex in Quezon City march to Mendiola after Mrs. Arroyo delivered her SONA before the joint houses of Congress, he added.

The MPD’s anti-riot forces were deployed around the Malacañang perimeter, as well as vital installations in Manila such as the oil depot in Pandacan, the US Embassy on Roxas Boulevard, the MRT and LRT stations and shopping centers.

Some 300 members of the National Transport Workers’ Union led by Daniel Edralin were monitored to have staged a short program at the boundary of Manila and Quezon City in Welcome Rotunda calling for the ouster of Mrs. Arroyo.

The group later marched toward the Batasan.

Security and intelligence forces were also deployed along the stretch of España to monitor rallyists who might try to march to Mendiola.

Public utility vehicles, especially those unusually full of passengers on a holiday, were checked.

Overall, it was a lazy day at MPD headquarters, with most of police officials watching TV to monitor the situation at the Batasan area.

Traffic was also light in most of Manila’s main thoroughfares.