The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) announced yesterday that the protests held in Metro Manila for President Duterte’s third State-of-the-Nation Address (SoNA) went “very peaceful”.
“[I am] satisfied and very grateful on the outcome of the established security coverage on the opening of the 17th Congress and State of the Nation Address (SONA) 2018 that concluded generally peaceful with no untoward incident,” said Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar, NCRPO director and commander of Security Task Force (STF) SoNA.
According to Eleazar, the peaceful and orderly conduct of SoNA protests was the result of their preparedness and coordination with leaders of cause-oriented groups and other stakeholders.
Final assessment report from the NCRPO said that around 15,000 anti-Duterte protesters converged at 4:30 p.m. and held a United People’s SONA in front of Saint Peter’s Parish on northbound lane of Commonwealth Avenue up to Ever Gotesco in Quezon City.
Meanwhile, the NCRPO assessment report said pro-Duterte rallyists peaked at 7,050 around 4:30 p.m. as they held their own program in front of Corazon Aquino Elementary School along eastbound of IBP Road, Quezon City. (Martin Sadongdong)
