Saturday, March 29, 2008 Police chief says rallies not a threat to gov't
THE frequent street rallies against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo are not considered a threat to the government.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Avelino Razon Jr. said the frequent demonstrations, particularly in Metro Manila, are not a threat to the administration.
He said calls for the President's ouster by some people joining the rallies are not reflective of the sentiments of all the Filipino people.
"While these demonstrations are peaceful, they do not reflect the sentiments of the nation. Our people are already tired of rallies and demonstrations. What they want now is economic gain and progress," Razon said.
The PNP chief further said while the government's battle against insurgency is yet to be won, the problem is not serious as this is being jointly addressed by the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The President earlier released P1 billion for the Department of National Defense to counter insurgency.
Also, Arroyo also announced the increase in the basic salaries of civilian, military and uniformed personnel starting July, as she pressed for more efforts to stop insurgency by 2010. (JC)
