NCRPO: 7,000 cops for SONA not overkill

MANILA, Philippines -  National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Alan Purisima laughed off claims yesterday of a militant group that the deployment of 7,000 police officers for President Aquino State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 25 is “overkill.”

“We are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst,” said Purisima, as he assured Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. that the police will respect human rights and exercise maximum tolerance.

“There’s nothing to be alarmed (about) as we are even securing their ranks against agitators who may take advantage of the situation,” he added.

Earlier, Purisima said 7,000 policemen will be deployed during the SONA not only to ease traffic but also to secure all roads leading to the Batasang Pambansa complex.

The figure includes those assigned to secure the Don Chino Roces bridge (formerly Mendiola), the Senate building in Pasay City and the EDSA Shrine in Mandaluyong City.

During Aquino’s first SONA last year, at least 10,000 policemen were deployed across Metro Manila.

Reyes said the government “should not be paranoid” because Bayan’s planned protest at the Batasang Pambansa complex in Quezon City will be “generally peaceful.”

“The massive police deployment and even the police rehearsals for dispersing protesters are creating the mindset that there will be violence and chaos on July 25. It’s part of the government’s psy-war scheme to dissuade people from joining protests to air their grievances,” Reyes said in a statement.

These security preparations, according to Bayan, are “reminiscent of the time of [former President turned congresswoman] Gloria Arroyo.”

The NCRPO also installed closed-circuit television cameras in strategic areas around the Batasang Pambansa complex.