BEFORE crowd control policemen face thousands of protesters, Philippine National Police chief Director General Ricardo Marquez went around the barricaded area of Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City to check on his men.
As President Benigno Aquino III delivers his final State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, at least 10,000 rallyists from various sectors are expected to troop to Commonwealth Avenue, which is a few kilometers away from Batasang Pambansa.
Marquez personally went to Commonwealth Avenue to check the security situation, as well as the morale of policemen who would find themselves face to face with protesters.
“I asked them, are they okay, psychologically? Did they have their breakfast? And they said, ‘we had a good breakfast, sir,'” Marquez told reporters after inspecting the PNP’s command post.
Some 6,000 police officers were deployed to provide security for the President’s last Sona. Aside from Quezon City policemen, augmentation forces from nearby regions were sent to secure Batasan.
It can be recalled that one civil disturbance management (CDM) police officer cried as the confrontation with protesters turned violent during Aquino’s Sona in 2013.
Marquez also explained why the government had to line up Commonwealth Avenue with concertina wires and concrete barriers. Militants were saying the security for Sona was an “overkill.”
“We are just preparing to avoid violent confrontations. Nilagay namin ang mga constructions na yan para hindi magkaroon ng face-to-face engagement. Alam niyo naman na tuwing nangyayari ‘to, may tumatalon, may mambabato,” Marquez said.
As of posting, CDM police are on standby as throngs of protesters advance to the Ever Gotesco Mall.