PNP on full alert, mobilizes 50K cops ahead of anti-corruption rally

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has raised its status to Full Alert across the National Capital Region, beginning at 5:00 p.m. Friday, in anticipation of the upcoming nationwide anti-corruption protest on 21 September. 

The PNP said the move comes under the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure public safety and maintain peace and order.

More than 50,000 police personnel have been mobilized across the country, with security operations being conducted in close coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and other national agencies. The PNP assured the public of rapid response capabilities and a unified command structure for the upcoming mass mobilizations.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) will be fully deployed, while all other Police Regional Offices and the Reactionary Standby Support Force (RSSF) have been placed on heightened readiness for immediate deployment if needed.

“This is a proactive measure to safeguard the right to peaceful assembly while preventing any attempt to disrupt public order,” Acting PNP Chief Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said in a statement. 

“Our priority is the safety of everyone, protesters, bystanders, and the community at large,” he added.

Meanwhile, PNP spokesperson P/BGen. Randulf Tuaño echoed the appeal for cooperation from rally organizers and participants in the lawful staging of various demonstrations. 

Tuaño said PNP stands ready, together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and partner agencies, “to protect both freedom of expression and the peace of our communities.”

The PNP emphasized its constitutional duty to uphold public safety and expressed its continued commitment to maintaining a secure environment for all lawful civic activities.