The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said it was studying possible ‘threat groups’ as part of preparations for the Nov. 30 anti-corruption protests.
Acting PNP Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. made the pronouncement in a press briefing at Camp Crame in response to a question about what steps they were taking to avoid a repeat of violent incidents during the Sept. 21 anti-corruption protests.
‘The PNP is still collecting data. How many people will be rallying? Where will they rally? Who are the threat groups that we need to monitor and prepare for?’ Nartatez said, speaking in Filipino.
‘Our PNP is continuously collating all the data so that we can make a solid plan to maintain security and order. Then, we deploy our resources and provide appropriate funding for this operation so that we can prevent violence,’ he added.
The violence on Sept. 21 erupted at the Ayala Bridge and the Mendiola Peace Arch after the Baha Sa Luneta rally in Rizal Park in Manila and the Trillion Peso March at the People Power Monument in Quezon City.
The riots led to at least two deaths and the arrest of over 200 people – 90 of whom were minors – prompting human rights groups to condemn the police for not exercising maximum tolerance.
Nonetheless, the Trillion Peso March organizers announced that they will be holding another major protest action on Nov. 30, the anniversary of the birth of revolutionary Andres Bonifacio, to sustain their anti-corruption campaign.
The protests were sparked by the surfacing of alleged anomalies in flood control projects and infrastructure projects in general.