METRO Manila police chief Maj. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. yesterday said 15,000 policemen will be deployed on Monday, July 26, to ensure peace and order during the last State of the Nation Address of President Duterte.
“We are ready. Our policemen are ready to face those individuals or groups that will inflict harm or try to disrupt the peaceful and orderly conduct of the SONA,” Danao said, adding cops will focus on security in and out of the Batasan Complex.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said the Batasan Complex will be a “no fly zone” starting on 6 a.m. of Sunday, July 25, up to 6 a.m. of July 27. The “no Fly zone” will be enforced within a five nautical mile radius.
Danao said cops deployed during the SONA will use body-worn cameras to monitor movements on the ground.
“This is to ensure that any suspicious person can’t elude our policemen,” Danao said.He also said they will also ensure safety and health protocols against COVID-19.
“Freedom of expression is also very important but let us always take consideration of the IATF rules,” Danao said.
He guaranteed that Duterte’s last SONA will go smoothly as planned.
Meanwhile, only eight senators led by Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III will physically attend the SONA.
“Only eight manifested their intention to attend the State of the Nation physically. The rest will be virtual,” Sotto told reporters in an online briefing yesterday.
Aside from Sotto, the seven others are Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Christopher Lawrence Go, Sherwin Gatchalian, Ronald dela Rosa, Imee Marcos, Francis Tolentino and Ramon Revilla Jr.
As part of health protocols, the senators and their staff who will attend the SONA are required to present their vaccination cards showing they were inoculated at least two weeks prior to July 26.
Two days before the SONA, they are also required to undergo RT-PCR tests.
An antigen test will be conducted on Monday by members of the Presidential Security Group at the Batasan complex.
Sotto said 90 percent of Senate employees have been vaccinated. — With Ashzel Hachero
