End of EDSA rally still uncertain — NCRPO

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Tuesday said there is still no definite timeline for the end of the rally near the EDSA People Power Monument in Quezon City, which began before dawn.

“Ang problema pa rin po natin ay ‘yung hindi pa po definite na matatapos ‘yung programa,” NCRPO chief Police Major General Anthony Aberin said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

(Our challenge right now is that the end of the program is not yet definite.)

Aberin said the NCRPO had monitored information in recent days about a planned rally, although no specific date had been indicated. He also said the organizers allegedly failed to secure a permit.

“Kagabi po kasi may nakita na tayong mga text and at the same time naaksyunan na agad po natin at nag-deploy na po tayo as early as 3 a.m.,” he said.

(Last night, we saw text messages about it and immediately acted by deploying personnel as early as 3 a.m.)

Aberin said nearly 3,000 police personnel had been deployed to the area, noting that authorities arrived ahead of the protesters.

“Naglatag po tayo. Actually mas nauna po ‘yung kapulisan natin dito. Ang kapulisan po ng NCRPO na dineploy natin ay almost 3,000. But the crowd, of course, is much larger,” he said.

According to Aberin, traffic disruptions were contained in less than an hour, with police coordinating closely with rally organizers. Tow trucks from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the Highway Patrol Group were also placed on standby.

Still, Aberin said authorities would exercise restraint in dealing with protesters.

“We will expect, of course, resistance and violence kung pupuwersahin natin. So makikipag-dialogue po tayo sa kanila. Hindi naman natin gustong mangyari ito na magkakaroon ng violence. So ang gagawin natin ay dapat graduated po ‘yung moves na gagawin po natin,” he said.

(We expect resistance and violence if we force them, so we will engage them in dialogue. We do not want violence to happen, so our actions must be gradual.)

Aberin added that police would continue to observe maximum tolerance.

In a separate interview, he said authorities had appealed to protesters to maintain order and avoid worsening traffic along EDSA.

“Ang tanong, papaano bubuwagin ito if ever man? Sa dami nito, parang kalat po eh hindi naman po ito isang maliit na grupo… ang ultimate aim muna natin ay panatilihin ang maayos na daloy ng trapiko at disiplina sa kanilang hanay,” he said.

(The question is how this will be dispersed, if ever. This is not a small group. For now, our ultimate aim is to keep traffic flowing and ensure discipline among their ranks.)

The Quezon City Police District said the crowd had grown to around 10,000 by 11 a.m., roughly nine hours after protesters began converging in the area.— MCG, GMA News