PNP deploys 15,000 cops for Martial Law anniversary; UP group decries 'overkill'

MANILA, Philippines — The plan of the Philippine National Police to deploy at least 15,000 PNP officers during the 54th anniversary of the declaration of martial law on Monday is an overkill, according to the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman committee on the protection of academic freedom and human rights. “The deployment of 15,000 police forces on Monday is nothing but an overkill, a show of force to stifle the rights of our people to protest against the repressive policies of the government,” the committee said in a statement. The group criticized the PNP for the use of excessive force during protests and peaceful assemblies, saying activists are “armed only with placards and their voices.” “This massive response of the state is unjustified as it serves to intimidate protesters and stifle free expression,” the UP committee said, noting the “irony of the state using an aggressive security framework on a day meant to remember the victims of state overreach.” According to the goup, placing the protest areas on full alert status “mimics historical suppression tactics used to silence critics, while corruption and impunity continue unabated among the high-ranking officials of our country.” The National Capital Region Police Office said no group has secured a rally permit for Monday. The NCRPO urged protesters to get one to ensure peace and order. “The permit is not just to ensure that the protests will be orderly, it allows local government units to prepare for those who will not join,” NCRPO spokesperson Lt. Col. Hazel Asilo told True FM. Some groups have already scheduled their protests in freedom parks, including the Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot coalition that will hold a program at Liwasang Bonifacio on Monday at 3 p.m. to call for accountability in the flood control scandal. Before the program, San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza will hold a “mass of hope” at San Agustin Church in Intramuros. The NCRPO said it would deploy 15,700 personnel, with full alert status activated starting at 12 a.m. today. Students from UP Diliman held a walkout yesterday to mark the anniversary of the imposition of martial law in the country, with chancellor Edgardo Carlo Vistan II endorsing the mass action. “UP Diliman never forgets,” the university said on social media. In a separate statement, the university student council said the mass action would serve “as a collective manifestation of our condemnation of the rampant corruption, systemic impunity and state neglect continuing to afflict our nation.” “Compounding this national crisis, our own university faces a daunting P2.95-billion budget deficit in the 2027 budget, due to state-imposed budget cuts. These severe funding gaps compromise the UP system’s capacity to deliver quality education, support research and fulfill its mandate as the university of the people,” the student council said. UP Los Baños chancellor Jose Camacho Jr. expressed support for the walkout, saying participation in the activity “allows them to reflect, express their views and contribute to public discourse.” — EJ Macababbad, Emmanuel Tupas