MANILA – The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) announced on Monday (01 July 2024) that over 22,000 police officers and force multipliers will be deployed to secure President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22.

NCRPO Chief Maj. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., who also serves as Task Force SONA commander, detailed that the deployment will include 17,971 officers from Metro Manila, 1,879 from regional offices including Central Luzon and Calabarzon, and 2,771 personnel from other government agencies.

“We will deploy sub-task groups led by district directors to provide not just security but also medical assistance in coordination with public and private agencies,” Nartatez stated. The five districts under NCRPO are Manila, Quezon City, Northern, Eastern, and Southern.

Preparations include simulations to test the effectiveness of their security measures. Aside from securing the House of Representatives in Batasan, Quezon City, police will also cover malls, churches, and critical infrastructure such as transport terminals, airports, and seaports.

Enhanced security measures will be in place at potential protest sites, including Chino Roces Bridge near Malacañang, the U.S. Embassy in Manila, and the EDSA Shrine in Quezon City.

(el Amigo/mnm)

By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Tuesday (09 Jan 2024) said that approximately 2.8 million individuals participated in this year’s Traslacion after several years of being shelved owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of 1:00 pm, the NCRPO reported a total attendance of 2,807,700, encompassing participants at the Quirino Grandstand, the Traslacion procession, and Quiapo Church.

Amidst global COVID-19 concerns, authorities had initially projected a turnout of two million people for the event, which had been postponed until three years ago.

However, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) reported that over 600 devotees required medical attention. More than 1,000 PRC volunteers were deployed to assist attendees of the Black Nazarene.

(el Amigo/MNM)