PNP Director for Operations Maj. Gen. Valeriano De Leon yesterday urged protesters not to pursue planned rallies during the first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Marcos next Monday, June 25, at the Batasang Pambansa Complex.
“It’s better if our countrymen will listen to what President Marcos will say (instead of staging protest actions),” De Leon said.
Leftist groups are expected to hold protest actions during the SONA of Marcos at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City. The PNP earlier said 15,000 policemen, soldiers and force multipliers will be deployed to secure the event.
“He will lay down the direction of our country in the next six years so we hope our countrymen will not stage rallies and just monitor him reveal what he will do during his entire term,” said De Leon, referring to the programs expected to be announced by Marcos during his SONA.
“It’s better if they will listen to what he will do in the next years and if there are (promises) he can’t fulfill, then they’ll have a legitimate issue,” added De Leon.
De Leon also said protesters should respect the voice of the 31 million Filipino voters who elected Marcos during the May elections.
De Leon said security preparations are already in place for SONA. He said they will adopt “minor adjustments” on their preparations, depending on developments.
“We have not been receiving any serious threat since the time we are preparing (for SONA),” said De Leon. The PNP began preparing for SONA about two weeks ago.
“We’ve been hearing some information and we are having this validated by the intelligence community…We’re receiving reports but we’re validating them and for us, corresponding contingency measures will be our response,” he added,
De Leon said the PNP will start deploying personnel for SONA-related duties this Friday to coincide with the start of the Metro Manila-wide gun ban.
De Leon initially said the gun ban will be from July 22 to 26 but later clarified its coverage will be from July 22 to 27. The implementation of the gun ban was approved by PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. last week.
De Leon said policemen will also set up checkpoints in various entry points to Metro Manila.
De Leon stressed protesters will be allowed only to stage protest actions in freedom parks.
He said protests will be allowed inside the University of the Philippines-Diliman “but if they go out to areas with public conveyance or streets, we won’t allow them.”
De Leon said the PNP has suspended the leave of all policemen in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon due to the incoming SONA.
“We have to suspend their leave so we will have available policemen, we will have a standby force to deploy (in case of emergency),” said De Leon.
