CALOOCAN CITY, (PIA) -- Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Police General Guillermo Lorenzo T Eleazar assured that the National Capital Region Police Office has started security preparations for President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s last State of the Nation Address.

“Palapit nang palapit ang SONA ng ating Pangulo at batid ng inyong PNP ang matinding interes ng ating mga kababayan sa kanyang mensahe kaya naman patuloy ang aming paghahanda para dito,” Eleazar said.

“Naging tahimik at maayos ang mga nakalipas na SONA ng ating Pangulo at ito ang nagsisilbing template ng inyong kapulisan sa darating na Hulyo 26, kabilang ang maayos na pakikipag-usap sa lahat ng grupo,” he added.

Eleazar was instrumental in ensuring zero casualty and zero incident during President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s first two State of the Nation Addresses in 2016 and 2017 as Task Group Quezon Commander and two other SONAs as NCRPO director and head of the Security Task Force SONA in 2018 and 2019.

He was the commander of the Joint Task Force COVID Shield during President Duterte’s 5th SONA last year.

It was Eleazar who initiated the removal of container vans and other barricades which had been present in all other SONAs, arguing that their presence only invite aggressiveness on the part of the protesters.

Instead, he pushed for dialogues with various groups.

According to Eleazar the police are also coordinating with other offices and stakeholders to determine the setup of Duterte’s last SONA, given that there is still a pandemic in the country.

Eleazar urged groups planning to hold mass actions to reconsider and just conduct their activities online to avoid contracting COVID-19.

“We encourage these groups planning to conduct mass actions to coordinate their activities with the PNP. Pero mas makabubuti sana kung gawin na lamang nilang virtual ang kanilang mga activities para na din sa kaligtasan ng lahat mula sa COVID-19 lalo na’t nakapasok na sa ating bansa ang mas nakahahawang Delta variant,” he said.

The PNP Chief assured that no security threat has been monitored for President Duterte’s SONA on July 26.

Still, Eleazar said, the police force will be on full alert and enough police officers will be deployed to ensure that no untoward incident happens on that day. (PNP/PIA-NCR)