The Philippine National Police (PNP) warned protesters of dispersal if they go out of the three freedom parks in Quezon City where they would be allowed to hold their activities during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Bongbong Marcos.
Police Maj. Gen, Valeriano De Leon said that the based on the security plan, protesters will be allowed to hold programs at the Quezon Memorial Circle, inside the compound of the Commission on Human Rights and inside the UP Diliman Campus.
"We appeal to the organizers of the protest actions to limit their activities in these freedom parks to prevent disturbance of the smooth traffic flow in the area and to avoid unnecessary confrontation with the police," said De Leon.
“We will exercise maximum tolerance. If they go out of the freedom parks, then the corresponding police response will be done by our CDM (Civil Disturbance Management) units on the ground. If they go out of the freedom parks and it will disturb traffic and peace and order, then we will disperse them at all cost," he added.
But even inside the freedom parks, De Leon said protesters will not be allowed to burn effigies similar to what the protesters have been doing in the past SONAs.
He said the Batasang Pambansa 880, issued during the time of Marcos’s father, prohibits the burning of effigies.
Almost 22,000 police personnel and force multipliers will be deployed to secure President Marcos' SONA on July 25. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has already released a traffic rerouting plan in Quezon City.
De Leon said the IBP Road will be closed on July 25 to give way to the SONA as a number of people are expected to attend the activity, adding that there would be security and traffic adjustments depending on the situation on the ground.
De Leon also appealed to the protesters to give President Marcos a chance to discuss his plan for the country, arguing that the protesters have no basis to attack Marcos so far since he only assumed the presidency on June 30.