6,250 policemen to be deployed for SONA

Ma. Lourdes “Miami” Ebilane
July 14, 2008
Story 1: 6,250 policemen to be deployed for SONA

About 6,250 policemen will be deployed in National Capital Region (NCR) for the upcoming
State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28, official said.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director General Geary Barias said they will
deploy policemen all over Metro Manila, "That 6,000 is not only for Quezon City alone,
where the SONA will happen, other areas will also have police deployment." They also
created Super Task Force Kapayapaan.

Barias added that 4,000 of which will came from NCR, 1,000 from the augmentation from
Regions I, 3, 4A and CAR.

He also said that areas where people always go to staged protests will have deployment as
well, especially Mendiola Bridge in Manila. He said about 3,000 will be deployed in Quezon
City, about 1,700 will be deployed in Metro Manila the rest will be at EDSA Shrine, Makati
and Senate.

Aside from Mendiola Bridge, the other places will be guarded in Manila are Liwasang
Bonifacio, Legarda, Lepanto, Morayta, Bustillos, Recto, Plaza Miranda and US Embassy.
In Quezon City, aside from Batasan Hills where the House of Representatives is located, they will also guard the area of Litex, San Mateo and Sandiganbayan.

The NCRPO Chief added that they are not expecting any threat on the coming SONA.

Meanwhile, about 2,000 to 3,000 personnel from Civil Disturbance Managment (CDM) has
been recommended by Barias to attend one day seminar on July 23 before the Commission
on Human Rights (CHR) to ensure that the police will not violate the right of the protesters
who will staged rally during the SONA.