Military officials expressed confidence Saturday that President Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on Monday will be generally peaceful, saying they have not monitored reports of any serious threats.

This is the reason why soldiers will not be deployed in the streets and will be on standby only in Camp Aguinaldo, said Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, General Victor Ibrado said.

“We don’t really foresee anything serious to happen... our troops, unless they are called, hindi sila lalabas,” said Ibrado.

Ibrado said they are banking on the experience of two past SoNAs when no serious incidents occurred, with protesters immediately dispersing on their own a few hours after the President delivered her speech.

This was echoed by Major General Jogy Leo Fojas, commander of the National Capital Region Command, who said that they have not monitored threats from extremist groups and from those who want destabilize the government.

But Ibrado and Fojas said they would likely to declare red alert in Metro Manila beginning Sunday afternoon or evening.

“We will declare red alert maybe Sunday afternoon or evening, only for NCR (National Capital Region), depending on development. But as of this time, we don’t see any need so as to declare a red alert nationwide,” said Ibrado.

Meanwhile, a militant lawmaker Saturday voiced his strong opposition against turning the House of Representatives into a “garrison” during Arroyo’s SoNA.

Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño said he might skip the SoNA to attend a huge Church-led rally in Bacolod City and be “as far away as possible from the disgusting spectacle of 10, 000 policemen and soldiers” surrounding the Batasan complex in Quezon City.

“I cannot stomach the fact that Congress will be turned into a garrison to hear the President speak,” Casiño said. “We are supposed to represent the people. Why do we need so many armed policemen and soldiers to keep out the very people we represent?”

He lamented how the President has “turned SoNA from a democratic exercise into a show of tyranny.”

Casiño said he will be flying to Bacolod City on Monday to speak before a big anti-Charter change (Cha-cha) rally organized by the local diocese.

Casiño said that during the SoNA, he expects the President “to use everything in the politicians’ bag of tricks to convince people that her administration was the best thing that ever happened to the Philippines.”

“She will cite every project ever made, every SARO (Special Allotment Release Order) and NCA (Notice of Cash Allocation) ever given and remind her allied local officials and congressmen to be thankful,” he said.

“She will completely ignore the scandals and anomalies that happened under her watch and make her government appear as clean as mountain air. She will declare her government to be a promoter of human rights and peace, sweeping all the killings, disappearances, torture and other atrocities under the rug.

“In the end, expect her lackeys and ‘palakpak boys’ in Congress to call for an extension of her stay in Malacañang. Expect them to push for Cha-cha.”