PNP chief sees no new threats against Arroyo administration

By Ronron
March 12, 2008

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said Wednesday that he sees no more threats against the Arroyo government except the communists and the Moslem extremists down south.

Razon said that with the arrest of suspected terrorists recently – details surrounding it he still refuses to divulge, the threat against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in particular was addressed “partially.”

“I think the assessment of the National Security Adviser is sound because first, on the incident Manila Peninsula incident (in Makati City last November 29, 2007), we have arrested the leaders and we have accounted for some of participants,” he said.

Razon was referring to former Army Scout Rangers chief Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, and other Magdalo officers who took over Manila Peninsula Hotel to call for the ouster of Arroyo.

NSA Norberto Gonzales had said recently that the worst is over for the President after the recent rallies in Metro Manila sparked by the expose of alleged irregularities behind the aborted National Broadband Network project failed to overthrow the present administration.

“We have seen that these protest actions did not and are not drawing the crowd that they are anticipating,” Razon said, apparently referring to the last anti-government rallies on February 15th, 25th and the 29th.

He cited a Social Weather Station survey, which reportedly found that only 16 percent of Metro Manila residents “are willing to participate in this mass action or demonstration,” while the 84 percent do not like to as they “would like the country to continue on with their normal lives and benefit from the economic gains that we are enjoying.”

Asked if the PNP sees fresh threats against the Arroyo administration, Razon said: “We don’t see any new group. Of course, the threat of the CPP-NPA and the southern Philippines terrorists continue.”

But the threat specifically for the President remains under assessment by the PNP, he said.

Authorities reported in February an alleged assassination plot against Arroyo by alleged Moslem extremists. The report prompted the President to cancel her trip then to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in Baguio City for its foundation day celebration.

Razon said it will be up to the Presidential Security Group (PSG) to decide if the President should attend or not this year’s graduation at the PMA, which is set on March 18./DMS