The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO 7) has officially declared the 'Trillion Peso March' protest, held on November 30 to mark the birth anniversary of national hero Gat Andres Bonifacio, as a model of peaceful and orderly assembly. Authorities reported that the event concluded without a single criminal incident.
Massive Police Presence Ensures Peace and Order
PRO 7 Director, Police Brigadier General Redrico Maranan, detailed the extensive security preparations for the demonstration. He revealed that more than 2,000 police personnel were strategically deployed across Cebu City to safeguard the protest, which was spearheaded by the Catholic Church and joined by various sectors.
"We had zero incidents. No untoward incident, not even a single case of theft or any of the eight focus crimes happened within the vicinity of our areas of engagement yesterday," Maranan stated emphatically. He explained that the heavy deployment was part of a security plan crafted days in advance, aimed solely at crime prevention.
Beyond the visible forces on the ground, Maranan noted that hundreds more officers from the Civil Disturbance Management (CDM) unit were placed on standby as a quick reaction force, ready to respond to any potential unrest.
Disciplined Protest Amidst Conflicting Crowd Estimates
The police estimate placed the number of participants between 4,000 to 5,000. However, Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council chairperson Dave Tumulak presented a different figure. Based on analysis of drone video footage, Tumulak estimated the crowd size swelled to between 8,000 to 10,000 people.
Brig. Gen. Maranan extended his gratitude to the protesters for their exemplary conduct. "We thank our fellow citizens who conducted the protest rally for being so disciplined. We saw how disciplined the Cebuanos were," he said. He praised the participants for expressing their grievances peacefully while adhering to laws and policies designed for public safety.
Early Start for a Peaceful Expression
Police Lieutenant Colonel Jose Losbaños, information officer of the Cebu City Police Office, reported that security operations began as early as 5 a.m. This early deployment was in response to a scheduled program by a progressive group.
By 8 a.m., the group, led by Jaime Paglinawan, commenced their march towards Colon Street for a short program. According to reports, the protesters were given ample time and space to voice their concerns. The core of their grievance centered on allegations of massive corruption in billion-peso flood-control projects undertaken by the government.
The successful management of the Trillion Peso March highlights a collaborative effort between law enforcement and the citizenry. It demonstrates that large-scale public demonstrations can proceed without violence when met with professional policing and a commitment to peaceful expression from all involved parties.
