Tuesday, May 1, 2007

AFP, PNP raise alert level for Labor Day celebration

By Ronron
April 30, 2007

The Philippine military and police raised their respective alert levels on Monday noon in preparation for street demonstrations that will be held today (Tuesday) in celebration of Labor Day.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) National Capital Region Command (NCRCom) chief Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ben Dolorfino said the entire force of the military in Metro Manila went on full alert effective 12 noon yesterday (Monday), together with the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

The other units, meanwhile, of the Philippine National Police (PNP) elsewhere in the country went on heightened alert.

“We will be on red alert effective today, which means that we will place on stand by our civil disturbance management units. In addition to that, our quick reaction units are also on stand by,” Dolorfino told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo.

Like the PNP, Dolorfino said the military sees no untoward incident happening today based on intelligence information.

Asked about the possible repeat of the May 1, 2001 siege by supporters of former President Joseph Estrada, Dolorfino said: “We do not foresee that such thing will happen again tomorrow.”

Dolorfino said a total of about 2,000 troops will be on standby for today’s activity, while the NCRPO said 4,185 anti-riot cops will be deployed all over Metro Manila, mostly in Manila City where militants and members of cause-oriented groups are set to cap their rallies at the Liwasang Bonifacio.

The Labor Day celebration in key cities of the country, especially in Metro Manila, is usually marked by mass rallies by militant and cause-oriented groups to air their grievances against the government./DMS

No comments: