Nationwide mass actions held peacefully, says PNP

By Ronron
February 25, 2008

The mass actions Monday all over the country, especially in Metro Manila, in commemoration of the 22nd anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution that toppled the dictatorial rule of former President Ferdinand Marcos, went “peacefully,” the Philippine National Police (PNP) said last night.

In a statement, PNP chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said the “generally peaceful mass actions and activities during the anniversary of the People Power” manifested the “responsible democracy” prevailing in the country now.

“All our preparations paid off, from the coordination with group leaders, to the deployment of police visibility patrols and assignment of security personnel to ensure order in the EDSA Day activities and mass actions,” Razon said.

In a news conference, Chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao, Jr., commander of the National Capital Region Police Office’ (NCRPO) Task Force Kapayapaan, said that they monitored four activities in Metro Manila during the day.

These are the pro-government rally at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila City, the anti-government rally at Mendiola also in Manila City, the Holy Mass at EDSA Shrine in Mandaluyong City, and the Holy Mass at Baclaran Church in Paranaque City.

Pagdilao said the crowd at Liwasang Bonifacio reached about 10,000; at Mendiola about 2,000; at EDSA Shrine about 400; and at the Baclaran Church about 500.

They were secured and controlled by some 1,200 policemen and 300 civil disturbance management personnel of the National Capital Region Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said NCRPO chief Dir. Geary Barias.

PNP spokesman Sr. Supt. Nicanor Bartolome said there were also reports of rallies by some 600 protesters in Cebu City at around noon yesterday, but they also dispersed peacefully.

He said there were only two incidents that drew tension yesterday: the brief confrontation between some marchers and policemen who prevented the former from painting protest slogans on the columns and retaining walls of the Metro Rail Transit along EDSA, and the temporarily holding of Sanlakas members along EDSA near Camp Crame as they marched towards EDSA Shrine due to lack of permit.

Other than those, there were no more serious untoward incidents reported, said Bartolome.

But the PNP will continue to monitor ongoing activities such as the gathering at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City for a noise barrage and a concert in support to calls for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Calls for Arroyo’s ouster reverberated in the last few weeks after her husband was implicated by Rodolfo Lozada, Jr. in the alleged plan of former Comelec Commissioner Benjamin Abalos to get a $130 million commission for allegedly brokering the National Broadband Network (NBN) project to ZTE Corporation.

Both Abalos and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo have denied the allegation.

Arroyo, for her part, insisted that she will stay on to power until her term ends 2010./DMS