6,000 cops to secure Senate during trial

MANILA, Philippines — Those planning to protest in front of the Senate tomorrow for the start of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial will be met with up to 6,000 police officers, according to the National Capital Region Police Office.

NCRPO spokesperson Maj. Hazel Asilo said yesterday that an initial 3,250 cops will be deployed within the vicinity of the Senate, while the rest are on standby.

“Like in the previous days, when there’s a reported threat in the Senate, this time, we are deploying police not only for the Senate’s security but for motorists and commuters passing through outside,” Asilo told radio dzBB, stressing that the NCRPO is preventing different groups from clashing.

Protesters will not be allowed to hold demonstrations in front of the Senate gate, according to Asilo. Steel barriers are already in place, closing one lane along Diokno Boulevard to vehicular traffic and pedestrians.

Most of the protests held outside the Senate were lightning rallies that have no permit from the local government of Pasay, which is why the situation tomorrow will depend on coordination between rally organizers and police negotiating teams stationed, Asilo explained.

“They are allowed (in front of the Manila Film Center), but sometimes, they can go near the Senate, so this will depend on the situation,” she said, adding, “It’s always maximum tolerance, respect for protesters’ rights and police operational procedure.”

Asilo clarified that vehicle inspection is under the purview of the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, but police will set up a checkpoint outside Diokno Boulevard.

She also assured the public that there is a sufficient number of police deployed in communities and for law enforcement operations.

The NCRPO has been downgraded from full alert to heightened alert status after the Iglesia ni Cristo ended its three-day protest last Thursday.

Jericho Walk

Meanwhile, people of different faiths staged an ecumenical Jericho Walk around the Senate compound yesterday morning, blessed it with holy water and sprinkled salt to cast away evil spirits, ahead of the tomorrow’s impeachment trial.

Garbed in brown clothing, members of the Clergy for Good Government (CGG) and Kingdom Keepers prayed for the senators who would act as judges in the impeachment trial.

“Even if we are ordinary citizens, with no power… the walls of justice can come down if all of us come together, Catholics, Protestants and Evangelicals,” Kingdom Keepers spokesperson Melba Padilla said.