The Philippine National Police (PNP) is finalizing security preparations for the start of the Senate impeachment trial, PNP chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III said on Friday.
Torre said that aside from personnel from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), additional police units may be deployed to strengthen peace and order measures around the Senate and ensure adequate manpower for regular security rotations.
“We in the PNP are aware that this could be an emotionally charged situation from both sides of the political fence. Our goal is to ensure that this will not lead to an incident that threatens not only their safety but also the peace and order,” Torre said.
Police personnel have been securing the Senate premises since May 11, with additional officers deployed as political tensions in the chamber escalated.
Torre said the PNP will continue coordinating with the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms to ensure the unified implementation of security measures inside and outside the Senate complex.
The coordination, he said, is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., through the guidance of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla, to prioritize peace and order and uphold the rule of law.
He stressed that police officers will remain off-limits inside the Senate unless called upon to respond to untoward incidents or emergency situations.
The PNP chief added that similar coordination will be undertaken with the House of Representatives' Sergeant-at-Arms for any security augmentation needed to protect House members who will serve as prosecutors during the impeachment proceedings.
Torre said security assistance for both the prosecution and defense panels would also be proposed and coordinated with their respective legal teams.
“Your PNP has done this before and the security measures implemented before will be useful in mapping out plans to secure everybody,” Torre said.
“We will continue fine-tuning our security measures, including regular and real-time adjustments, so that our personnel will always be prepared for all worst-case scenarios,” he added.
