THE NATIONAL Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) will deploy 14,100 policemen around Metro Manila, with 9,000 cops and force multipliers to be assigned in Quezon City for the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22. NCRPO chief Major General Guillermo T. Eleazar, in a chance interview with reporters at Camp Crame on Monday, said they are anticipating that about 15,000 rallyists will converge along Commonwealth Avenue during the SONA. He also said that they intend to maintain the same procedures in the past three SONA events. “For the past three years, wala tayong (we did not put) barb wire, container van, hindi tayo naglagay ng (we did not have) shield unless umuulan (it was raining)…so ayun pa rin ang inaasahan natin ngayon (we are hoping to observe the same this year),” he said. Mr. Eleazar added that they are also expecting rallyists near the US Embassy in Manila, at Chino Roces Bridge, Liwasang Bonifacio, and EDSA Shrine. Police officials will meet on Wednesday with other stakeholders, including leaders of both pro-government and anti-government groups as part of the SONA security preparations. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

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