The Philippine National Police (PNP) will deploy more than 106,000 officers nationwide to secure Labor Day activities on 1 May, officials announced Wednesday.
The deployment comes as labor organizations and progressive groups prepare for traditional mass actions and protests across the country.
PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said the force will be on heightened alert from 30 April through 2 May. While authorities have not monitored any specific or credible threats linked to the holiday, Tuaño stressed that the police will maintain a strict watch to ensure public safety.
The PNP continues to monitor for potential threats and is not being complacent, Tuaño said, noting that the ongoing surveillance is intended to provide immediate solutions should any security issues arise.
He also revealed that three groups have yet to receive permits for their planned rallies in Metro Manila.
The organizations reportedly applied to hold activities in areas that are not designated freedom parks, including the US Embassy, the University of the Philippines Diliman, Welcome Rotonda, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development office in Quezon City.
As of Wednesday, no permit approvals had been issued for those specific locations.
While police manage the immediate Labor Day activities, security officials are also finalizing long-term plans for the first-ever parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), scheduled for September.
Brig. Gen. Jaysen de Guzman, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, said approximately 9,000 police officers will be tapped to secure the BARMM polls.
They will be supported by roughly 3,000 personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard.
De Guzman said the security strategy for the elections focuses on utilizing personnel already stationed in Mindanao, including the PNP’s elite Special Action Force and Mobile Force units.
This approach is considered more practical because local units are familiar with the terrain and culture of the region, and it reduces the logistical challenges of deploying forces from Luzon and the Visayas.
Security augmentation for the BARMM elections will be drawn from nearby regions, including the Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Central Mindanao and Caraga.
De Guzman cited that while assessments are ongoing, Tawi-Tawi remains a primary security concern. Officials are also monitoring local terrorist groups, citing previous encounters between the military and the Daulah Islamiyah-Maute Group in Lanao del Sur, and are coordinating with local political clans to prevent violence during the campaign period.