120 rounded up in QC as part of SONA security--police
Posted July 27, 2008 17:29:00(Mla Time)
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Jeannette Andrade
MANILA, Philippines--The police rounded up 120 persons from Saturday night to Sunday morning in four barangay (villages) near the Batasan complex as part of security preparations for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.
Most of those picked up by operatives of the Quezon City Police District Station 6 were residents of Barangay Batasan Hills, Commonwealth, Holy Spirit, and Payatas-A.
They were rounded up for violating a city ordinance that prohibited drinking in public places, and for defying the 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew imposed by village officials in their respective areas.
All of them, however, were released at around 7 a.m. Sunday after a check showed that none of them had a criminal record,
The QCPD Station 6 commander, Superintendent Constante Agpaoa, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) that the roundup was part of routine operations in tightening security for the key presidential speech.
"I asked the officials of the four barangays to strictly implement the city ordinance and impose curfews in their areas ahead of the SONA. I coordinated our operations with them," he pointed out.
Agpaoa said the roundup was necessary in the four villages at the perimeter of the Batasan Complex.
"The people we rounded up are those drinking on the streets in violation of the city ordinance and those who violated the barangay-imposed curfew," he stressed, assuring that they did not receive reports of specific threats that could mar the State of the Nation Address.
Apart from the roundup in the four villages, police also conducted anti-crime checkpoints along the Interim Batasan Pambansa Road, Commonwealth Avenue, and Litex Road.
President Arroyo will deliver her eighth State of the Nation Address during the opening of the 2nd regular session of the 14th Congress.
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