FILE PHOTO: Members of the Philippine National Police force. Image from Facebook / PNP
MANILA, Philippines—The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said it was ready to secure Labor Day celebrations, including protest rallies, on Monday (May 1) and would deploy up to 10,000 policemen to key areas.
In a statement on Friday (April 28), NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo asked those who would join rallies to not view policemen as enemies and vowed to observe “maximum tolerance.”
“We are not the enemies,” said Okubo in a statement issued by the NCRPO. “I assure that the NCRPO is always ready to secure the public,” he said.
READ: Around 1,100 cops to be deployed on Labor Day in Manila
He said the NCRPO will “guarantee that your police force will deal with those who will conduct rallies with maximum tolerance and utmost respect for human rights.”
He said rallies, though, can’t be held without permits except in areas designated as freedom parks. “Protesters must follow laws and ordinances,” Okubo said.
According to the NCRPO, of the 10,529 Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel deployed around Metro Manila, 1,000 would come from the Reactionary Standby Support Force (RSSF) from the regional headquarters.
The RSSF team would be on standby starting April 30, the NCRPO said.
Several groups were expected to hold Labor Day rallies on Monday. These included Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) which announced plans to march on the US Embassy in Manila with workers’ groups.
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The NCRPO, however, expressed concern over the possibility that terrorists could infiltrate the rallies and launch attacks.
Labor Day, the NCRPO said, “will be marred with rallies and demonstrations from different sectoral groups particularly on the labor side airing their plight to end contractualization, better working conditions and salary increase.”
“Likewise, other threat groups might take advantage of the occasion and launch terror attacks or other nefarious activities,” the NCRPO said.
It said security plans are already in place that included “strategic personnel deployment, civil disturbance management, anti-criminality intervention, counter-terrorism, traffic management” and others.
Coordination is ongoing with other law enforcement agencies “for a more comprehensive security coverage,” the NCRPO said.
TSB