The Philippine National Police (PNP) is now completing the final stage of the security preparations for the third State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Marcos at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City on July 22.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the preparations include deployment of troops, coordination with other government agencies and the continuous information gathering and threat assessment.
“We are almost at the final stage ng ating security preparation particularly around the Batasan Complex because inside, the security will be handled by the House Sergeant of Arms and the Presidential Security Group,” said Fajardo.
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) earlier said that it will deploy more than 22,00o policemen to secure the President’s SONA. The policemen, he said, will be augmented by personnel from other government agencies.
At the vicinity of the Batasan Complex, Fajardo said around 5,000 to 6,000 policemen will be deployed.
The deployment of more policemen in the area, according to Fajardo, will cover rerouting to the areas that are not passable, particularly in the areas where the presence of VIPs is expected.
She said the security coverage also includes the anticipation of protesters, especially those who would not be given the permit to hold protest actions.
“These are some of the anticipated scenarios that we are looking into so we are making sure that we will have good security along Commonwealth Avenue and the vicinity and all the roads leading to Commonwealth and Batasan Complex,” said Fajardo.