The Philippine National Police (PNP) said the observance of the Labor Day on Saturday, May 1, was peaceful despite the staging of protests by various militant organizations.
PNP Chief Gen. Debold Sinas said no untoward incident was noted by the police across the country as of 12 noon, noting that fewer protests were held this year compared in 2020.
In Tondo, Manila, Liwasang Bonifacio, and España Boulevard, some labor and transport organizations staged street protests but Sinas said they heeded the police's calls to voluntarily disperse and terminate their activities early.
The PNP also monitored around 700 mass protesters at Welcome Rotonda, Quezon City and more or less 250 mass activists that marched from Metro Colon to Plaza Independencia in Cebu City.
"We would like to thank those militant and labor groups who heeded our call to abandon their earlier plans to stage public assemblies. Our objective is to keep everyone safe," Sinas said.
Prior to this, the PNP urged organizers to just do online protests and refrain from going out in the streets to conduct protests on Labor Day as mass gathering is still prohibited due to the prevailing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.