PNP goes on full alert; no threats monitored
BY JOCELYN MOMTEMAYOR, RAYMOND AFRICA and VICTOR REYES
PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. is set to deliver today his second state of the nation address (SONA) which is expected to tackle his administration’s accomplishments in its first year, and plans for the next five years including priority bills.
Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III said he expects the President to report the true state of the lives of ordinary Filipinos, tell the people why the prices of agricultural products like onions and sugar have not gone down despite importation, and present concrete solutions to pressing problems in the country.
The President, who last week described the SONA as a “simple performance report,” will deliver the address at 4 p.m. at the Batasang Complex in Quezon City.
On the eve of the SONA, the PNP went on full alert. The police said it has not received any information about plans to undermine the event which will be secured by some 22,000 personnel from the PNP, the military, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and other agencies.
Anti-government groups have been allowed to hold protests along Commonwealth Avenue corner Tandang Sora Avenue, about 4.5 km from the Batasang Pambansa Complex. The protesters are expected to converge near the Commission on Human Rights complex near Commonwealth Avenue.
Pro-government groups, on the other hand, were allowed to hold programs near the Commission on Audit building, also along Commonwealth Avenue or about 1.5 km from the SONA venue.
The PCG said it will deploy security personnel, K9 units and medical teams in certain areas for the SONA. It also said its units in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, northeastern and northwestern Luzon, Southern Tagalog, and Bicol will be heightened alert today in connection with the SONA as well as the three-day transport strike that begins today, and possible effects of severe tropical storm “Egay” which is expected to intensify into a typhoon also today.
Marcos on Saturday suspended classes and work Monday in Metro Manila due to
Egay and the transport strike, to ensure the safety of the public.
Marcos, on his second SONA, said last week he wanted to highlight the “significant progress” in the country and how it contributed to how the international community perceives the Philippines now.
Malacañang has not said how long the speech would be or how many drafts it has gone through. The President last week said there were some “worries” about the speech but he did not elaborate.
Over 2,000 guests are expected to troop to Batasan complex to listen to the SONA, according to House Secretary General Reginald Velasco.
Among the VIPs who will attend are former presidents Joseph Estrada, now deputy speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and Rodrigo Duterte.
Lara Maigue, a classically-trained soprano, will sing the national anthem just during the joint session of Congress.
COVID-19 protocols for SONA guests would be minimal as they would be asked only to present their vaccination card during screening.
For those unvaccinated, a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test 24 hours before the event would be required.
The preparations for the big event went into high gear when the House enforced a lockdown last Thursday. For this year, the pre-SONA lockdown, a standard operating procedure, lasted until Sunday or four days in total.
TRUE STATE
Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III yesterday said he expects President Marcos to report the true state of the lives of ordinary Filipinos one year after he became president.
He said it is the constitutional duty of the President to report the state of the nation, but it should be factual, with no non-sense information.
While the President is expected to trumpet the booming gross domestic product and foreign direct investments, Pimentel said what the Filipino people want to hear are its effects on ordinary Filipinos.
“Who are benefiting from the booming economy? That’s the question they have to answer. The figures are at their fingertips. That’s what he should be reporting on,” Pimentel said in Filipino during an interview with radio dzBB.
Pimentel said the President also needs to tell the people why the prices of agricultural products have not gone down despite the importation of some of these products, especially onions and sugar.
He said Marcos should explain well the second “sugar fiasco” because his government handpicked the importers who were given the green light to import sugar ahead of the issuance of a sugar order.
“Their justification was to shortcut the process of importation so that the people will benefit from lower prices of sugar. Did that happen? I looked at the prices of refined sugar, it remains high, it did not change,” he said.
Pimentel said the state of the nation has become worse a year after Marcos sat as President because allegations of corruption in government persist.
He said Marcos should get tough in the fight against corruption in government and fire the officials who are found liable.
MAHARLIKA FUND
Pimentel said there is no reason for Marcos to trumpet the passage of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill because it was not included in his first SONA. He said the MIF, which Marcos signed into law last week, has overtaken other proposed bills that were listed in the first SONA.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri has said he expects Marcos to talk about the MIF in the SONA, adding that he even suggested that the President should spell out some possible infrastructure programs that could be funded using the sovereign wealth fund.
The President has said the MIF will also widen the government’s fiscal space and ease pressure in financing public infrastructure projects, as well as accelerate the implementation of the 194 flagship infrastructure projects, especially those in agriculture, infrastructure, and digitalization as well as those that would strengthen the value chain.
Pimentel said Marcos should also report on the true state of the issues in West Philippine Sea because he has access to intelligence information and high level talks.
“He must tell the people what is happening in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Are there improvements in the situation, are there ongoing negotiations, what are the threats present?” he said.
Pimentel also said he wants the President to report on the condition of fishermen at the WPS, give updates on diplomatic protests filed by the Philippine government against China, and say if the Philippine government is talking with other claimant countries.
PRIORITY MEASURES
The President is expected to endorse 20 priority measures were endorsed during the second Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), which are targeted to be passed by the end of the year.
The measures, some of which are already part of the priority bills Marcos endorsed in his first SONA, are on amendments to the BOT Law/PPP bill; National Disease Prevention Management Authority; Internet Transactions Act/E-Commerce Law; Health Emergency Auxiliary Reinforcement Team (Heart) Act; Virology Institute of the Philippines; and the Mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corp (ROTC) and National Service Training Program Mandatory ROTC and NSTP.
Also being targeted to be passed late this year are bills on revitalizing the salt industry, Valuation Reform (Tax Package 3), E-Government/E-Governance, ease of paying taxes, national government rightsizing program; unified system of separation or retirement and pension of military and uniformed personnel, Local Government Unit Income Classification, waste-to-energy bill, and the New Philippine Passport Act.
Also in the 20 priority bills are the Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers, National Employment Action Plan, Amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas-endorsed Bank Deposit Secrecy, and, Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA) bills.
MALAYSIA TRIP
A day after his SONA, Marcos would go to Malaysia for a three-day state visit aimed at strengthening the cooperation between Manila and Kuala Lumpur as well boosting the Philippine economy.
The President will hold meetings with the King of Malaysia and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, during which he is expected to pursue bilateral cooperation in priority areas such as digital economy and the people-to-people, and support of the economic agenda of the country.
Marcos will meet with prominent Filipino and Malaysian business leaders during the visit in a bid to enhance the bilateral trade and investment and to explore economic opportunities for the Filipinos. There will also be exploration of new areas of exchanges such as the Islamic banking industries.
He will also meet with the Filipino community before returning to Manila on July 27.
THREATS
PNP spokeswoman Col. Jean Fajardo said the PNP has not received any information about plans to undermine the SONA.
“To this date, no serious threats monitored but we are continuously coordinating with other security sectors to preempt any attempt,” she said.
“We are on full alert. All systems go insofar as security coverage is concerned,” she added.
Fajardo also asked protesting groups “to observe the extent and limitations as provided in their permit to rally.”
Quezon City Police District chief Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III said policemen will be deployed to prevent possible confrontation between the pro and anti-government groups.
“All systems go and we don’t expect any major untoward incidents,” said Torre.
Torre said National Capital Region Police Office chief Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. visited the QCPD headquarters at Camp Karingal yesterday for the “final check” of the security measures for SONA.
“We’re very ready,” said Torre, adding that “all things are under control.”
Torre said he is expecting peaceful protests noting that there is no reason for anti-government groups to resort to violence.
“I just would like to remind them to keep everything sane, to keep everything within the bounds of the law, and within the bounds of decency and morality to prevent violence and to prevent people from getting hurt. There should be no instigation,” he said.
“If they don’t, the (full force) of the law will be brought down upon them,” said Torre.
Torre said he is not expecting the anti-government groups to go beyond the Commonwealth-Tandang Sora area, noting that was what the protesters requested in their approved permits.
“If they go beyond the areas they asked for, it’s not being decent anymore,” said Torre, adding he has around 1,000 personnel near the area to respond to a possible problem.
Torre said Commonwealth Avenue will not be closed to traffic during the SONA although he expects traffic congestion in the area.
VIEWING STATIONS
Torre also said QCPD operatives will put up viewing stations in some barangays in the city, where residents may watch the SONA.
Torre said they will also distribute relief goods to poor families at the viewing stations — 10,000 packs from social welfare department and 10,000 packs from the Quezon City government.
He said the activity was similar to the one they conducted during the first SONA last year.
On Saturday afternoon, PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr said 22,000 personnel from the PNP and government agencies will be deployed to secure today’s SONA.
“So far, everything had been considered and I think we are ready,” said Acorda.
Acorda said the PNP is putting up command centers, CCTV cameras and deploying drones as part of the security measures for SONA.
As to threats, Acorda said: “So far we have not monitored any threat. But still, as part of our preparations, we expect for the worst but hope for the best… We are doing good insofar as preparations are concerned.”
TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said it is ready for the SONA and the transport strike of the Malayang Alyansa ng Bus Employees at Laborers (Manibela).
MMDA Chairperson Romando Artes said he and other agency officials conducted a final walk-through and inspection of Commonwealth Avenue on Saturday.
He said the agency’s Road Emergency Group was also done with the final briefing for their personnel who will be deployed for the SONA.
Artes said 1, 354 MMDA personnel will be deployed for traffic management, emergency response, crowd control and assistance during the SONA and to monitor the transport strike.
MMDA ambulances, tow trucks, and mobile patrol and motorcycle units will also be dispatched, he said.
As part of its traffic management plan, Artes said the agency will implement a “zipper lane” or counterflow on the southbound portions of Commonwealth Avenue to give way to vehicles of government officials and guests going to the Batasan Complex.
The MMDA chief advised motorists to take alternate routes to avoid a possible heavy traffic along Commonwealth Avenue and in the vicinity of the Batasang Pambansa Complex during the SONA.
The MMDA also announced the suspension today of the expanded “number coding” scheme.
COUNTDOWN
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) last week started a countdown to SONA and invited the public to view the live streaming of the speech in their social media pages.
The PCO also released reels and stories in social media about some trivia about the SONA such as the late President Ferdinand Marcos’ having the longest SONA while former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo’s having the shortest speech.
Marcos’ SONA, which he delivered on January 27, 1969, had a word count of 30,427 while Arroyo’s delivered on July 25, 2005, had 1,551 words.
The late President Benigno Simeon Aquino III was the first President to deliver a SONA in Filipino, during his first address on July 26, 2010 while the President Elpidio Quirino was the only President who delivered a SONA over the radio instead of doing it in front of Congress as he was confined at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore in Maryland in the United States on January 23, 1950.
Over the weekend, a free PBBM SONA sticker package for viber and GIFs for Facebook and Instagram were also launched, encouraging the public to use them to show support to the establishment of a new Philippines.
Speaker Martin Romualdez has said the SONA is expected to be around 45 minutes but he is unaware of the specific content. He expects Marcos to continue to spell out his vision of the country. — With Wendell Vigilia and Ashzel Hachero
