Arroyo monitored Makati rally but was not worried, says AFP, PNP chief

By Ronron
February 29, 2008

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo made an unscheduled visit to the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Friday afternoon to get a briefing from police and military authorities on the inter-faith rally in Makati City last night.

Arroyo arrived at the National Headquarters building of the PNP shortly past 4pm after an official trip to Bulacan, and was joined by key Cabinet secretaries in the briefing given by PNP chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr.

"Initially, this meeting with her was not scheduled. Then, we got a word that she would want to pass by. She came from Bulacan," Razon told reporters in Filipino after the President left the camp at around 6:45pm.

He said the meeting supposed to be was just between the PNP and the AFP.

"She knew that we are monitoring here the situation (in Ayala). So she said that if she gets a chance to pass by, she will join us in monitoring the developments of the situation," Razon said.

Asked if the President was worried of the situation that was why she personally joined the monitoring of the situation and she even had her key Cabinet officials, Razon said: "No. In fact, she immediately went back to her normal duties now. She has a function at Malacanang."

The President was joined in the briefing by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr., Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr., Transportation and Communication Secretary Leandro Mendoza, and Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye,
according to Razon.

Razon said he does not know why the said key officials were at the briefing with the President.

"It's just that they wanted a briefing and to monitor. It's as simple as that," he just said.

Asked what is their assessment on the rally, Razon said: "Well, it was quiet, orderly. So, we thank the rally organizers. Hopefully, in an hour, we can conclude this protest action and return to normalcy."

According to him, the crowd was at its highest at 15,000 and went down to 9,000 shortly before Arroyo left the camp.

Esperon said the meeting was not "tensed," as there was no reason to be, citing the "few turnout" of the rally participants and the "orderly" conduct of the activity, "to the credit of the rally organizers."

Esperon and Razon said it took the President almost three hours before she left because they had to monitor the actual events aired on television.

They said that no other issues were discussed during the meeting, such as the apprehension of a foreign national in relation to the alleged kill plot on Arroyo, and the calamities in Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions.

Razon said it is very likely that the problem of the calamity-affected areas will be discussed when the President returns to Malacanang because she was to meet with governors and mayors there.

Asked how was the President when she left, Razon said: "Well, she was happy, and she was back to her normal schedule."

He said the President just directed them to continue their monitoring and then report to her the developments. She also thanked them for their security preparations.

Razon said the PNP may downgrade its alert level to normal status depending on how the rally would end. Based on that, the AFP may also take the same action, said Esperon./DMS