8,500 cops to secure People Power anniversary rites nationwide

Police officers at a flag ceremony at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. Photo taken in 2016. (File photo by NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / Philippine National Police)

MANILA, Philippines —  The Philippine National Police (PNP) is planning to dispatch more or less 8,500 police officers nationwide to ensure public safety during the commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution on February 25.

The PNP chief, Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., said police officers were preparing for one rally in Cebu and another in Metro Manila.

“In Cebu, we are intending to deploy more or less 2,500 personnel; in Metro Manila, we have more or less 6,000, and of course, the numbers will adjust depending on the intelligence reports that will come in,” Acorda said on Monday.

He assured the public that the PNP had not monitored any threats related to the upcoming celebration, as it closely monitors all received intelligence reports.

“I am appealing to those who will participate in these rallies to make the observance of the event peaceful. Our monitoring shows that we have nothing to worry about except for the anticipation of this crowd,” Acorda said.

The Edsa People Power Anniversary is no longer a holiday this year, as stated under Proclamation No. 368 which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed on October 11, 2023.

Before the issuance of this proclamation, the anniversary was observed as a special non-working holiday.

The Office of the President later explained that they removed the event from the list of holidays for this year because it would fall on a Sunday.

On the same date in 1986, the dictatorial rule of late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the father of the current president, was denounced by Filipinos in the streets.

Later on, it was dubbed the Edsa People Power Revolution, a bloodless uprising that ended the 20-year Marcos Sr. regime, which was tainted by massive corruption and violations of human rights.