PNP to deploy 22,000 cops for SONA in July

Over 22,000 cops will be deployed for the upcoming State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in July, the Philippine National Police said Thursday.

Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo, PNP National Capital Region Police Office Director, has been assigned to lead Task Force SONA to secure the event.

Okubo said the deployment of personnel will be distributed to all possible routes Mr. Marcos may traverse going to the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City, and areas where rallies are expected.

“We have committed almost 22,000 personnel for that deployment, where rallies will be held, and likewise of course our (police) reserves natin will come from different districts if we lack people there,” said Okubo.

PNP Chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda said the force has monitored no possible threat to SONA 2023 at the moment.

“As of now we have not received reports about it [threats] but as we have been saying, expect the worst and hope for the best,” Acorda said in an interview.

Intel gathering has been ongoing in connection with the President’s address, the second under his term, the PNP chief said.

“We have [security] templates that we follow during SONA and definitely we are prepared for this, depending on the intelligence reports that will come in, if there are adjustments to be done,” he added.

Acorda said police will observe maximum tolerance in dealing with protesters. — Charles Dantes

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