THE Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is preparing personnel to be deployed to Plaza Independencia for the protest action dubbed “Rally Against Corruption,” which is set to be staged by various community groups on Sunday, September 14, 2025.
The rally will be conducted in response to widespread corruption in the country, such as the alleged pocketing of funds for flood control projects, which has drawn heavy criticism from the public.
Police Colonel Enrico Figueroa, Cebu City police chief, said personnel will be deployed on Sunday to ensure peace and order in the city.
Among those to be deployed are members of the Traffic Enforcement Unit, Intelligence Unit, and covert personnel who will mingle with the crowd to watch out for criminal elements that might take advantage of the gathering.
Figueroa did not disclose the exact number of police officers to be deployed, but said he has already directed station commanders to prepare additional personnel for augmentation, aside from those assigned to the Civil Disturbance Management (CDM) unit.
“Mag deploy tayo nga mga Traffic Enforcement Unit personnel natin at sa pakig koordinasyon sa HPG and, of course, sa ating mga local police. Marami po tayong lalagyang location upang matulungan din natin sila duon sa daloy ng trapiko,” said Figueroa.
(We will deploy our Traffic Enforcement Unit personnel in coordination with the HPG and, of course, our local police. We will be manning various locations to help manage traffic flow.)
Figueroa expressed confidence that no trouble will occur, noting that rallies in Cebu City are generally peaceful compared to other parts of the Philippines and neighboring countries.
Still, he said they are not being complacent, which is why their forces are ready to respond in case of any untoward incident.
For his part, Police Brigadier General Redrico Maranan, director of Police Regional Office in Central Visayas, said they will maintain peace and order while observing maximum tolerance.
He appealed to rally participants not to block roads so as not to disrupt traffic, especially since many Cebuanos will be traveling to ports and the Mactan airport, as well as those heading to hospitals.
Maranan also urged protesters to follow city regulations, such as avoiding damage to public property, not obstructing streets, and refraining from burning objects such as tires.
He expressed confidence that Cebu will not experience the same unrest that occurred in Indonesia and Nepal, where youth-led demonstrations turned violent and even resulted in deaths.
Maranan described Cebuanos as peace-loving people who do not resort to violent actions because they know the consequences.
“Anong magagawang kabutihan kung gagayahin nila yung ginagawa nung mga protesters sa Nepal and other countries? Ano lang yun, its destruction loss of properties, loss of lives, chaos and at the end of the day who is the most affected? So tayo rin tayo ring mga Cebuanos. But ako naniniwala na hindi gagawin yan ng ating mga kababayan, lalong-lalo na ng ating mga protesters sapagkat sabi ko nga kanina, ang mga Cebuanos are known for being peace-loving and law-abiding citizen,” said Maranan.
(What good will it do if they copy what protesters in Nepal and other countries are doing? That only brings destruction, loss of property, loss of lives, chaos -- and at the end of the day, who is most affected? It’s us, the Cebuanos. But I believe our fellow citizens, especially our protesters, will not do that, because as I’ve said, Cebuanos are known for being peace-loving and law-abiding citizens.)
According to reports, after Sunday’s rally, another major protest is being planned for September 21 in the capital, to be joined by numerous civil society groups. (AYB)