Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) – Barely a day into his new job as Philippine National Police chief, Dir. Gen. Ricardo Marquez started tackling his first major task – ensuring the security of President Benigno Aquino III’s final State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday (July 27).
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With just a few days left before the event at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City, Marquez said a security plan had already been crafted. There were only some final touches to be done, he told CNN Philippines’ Newsroom anchor Mai Rodriguez on Monday (July 20).
“We make sure that those who will be attending the SONA are secured. We make sure that the roads are passable also for some commuters who are not going to be attending the SONA but also passing within the vicinity of the area.”
Some 4,000 cops will be deployed on Monday.
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Apart from holding consultations with the Quezon City government, the PNP will also meet with organizations planning to stage a protest near the Batasang Pambansa.
But he said that he had not received any feedback on the meeting with the protesters.
In a statement issued last Tuesday (July 14), the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said that Aquino’s critics from various sectors would stage a big rally on the day of his final SONA.
