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By Anthony Vargas, Reporter
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Saturday
downgraded its alert level status from “full” to normal
following the peaceful holding of the interfaith rally in Makati
City on Friday, which called for the resignation of President Gloria
Arroyo.
Organizers estimated that around 70,000 people
comprised of activists and concerned citizens took part in the
rally, which was staged at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Paseo de
Roxas.
But police estimated that only 15,000 took part
in the protest action. Around 5,000 policemen were mobilized in time
for the rally, with some contingents coming from the provinces.
Light tanks and armored personnel carriers were
also on standby at Camp Aguinaldo on Friday.
On the evening of Friday after the rally, police
had very little to worry about as the rally ended peacefully.
This prompted the PNP chief, Director General
Avelino Razon Jr., to issue a directive to all regional officials
including the National Capital Region, to lower their alert from
full-alert down to normal-alert.
The PNP chief also commended police personnel
for keeping the peace during the rally, and for being on standby for
any disturbance.
“The sacrifices of our policemen paid off,
especially the 5,000 ‘Mamang Pulis’ and ‘Aling Pulis’
deployed to assist and secure the rally participants in Makati
City,” Razon said in a statement.
The PNP chief said the holding of the interfaith
rally last Friday without any incident being reported to the police
showed that proper communication paid off as well.
“Again we have demonstrated how things can be
put in order when lines of coordination are maintained between the
police and organizers of mass actions,” Razon said.
The PNP chief said the rally was the “biggest
mass action” so far of cause-oriented groups and opposition
parties, estimating some 15,000 participants took part at its peak.
Participants in the interfaith rally dispersed
peacefully at around 8:45 p.m. with no untoward incidents, but
police contingents nonetheless opted to stay behind to ensure the
venue was cleared and cleaned-up.
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