By Priam Nepomuceno/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Benjamin Madrigal commended the officers and enlisted personnel of Joint Task Force-National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) for doing a good job in ensuring the peaceful conclusion of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s fourth State-Of-the-Nation Address (SONA).
This was bared by AFP spokesperson Marine Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo in a message to reporters shortly after the conclusion of the SONA Monday.
“AFP chief General Benjamin Madrigal Jr. commends the officers, men, and women of Joint Task Force NCR under the command of Brigadier General Cristobal Zaragoza and the ready force contingents from the Army, Air Force , Navy, and Marines for their hard work and sacrifices that led to the success of this historic event in our nation’s history,” he said.
Arevalo added that weeks of security planning, preparation, coordinations, and rehearsals conducted by the JTF-NCR paid off.
“The fourth SONA of President and Commander-in-Chief Rodrigo Duterte has been delivered. So far, on the part of the AFP, there was no reported untoward incident inside and outside the Session Hall where Senators and Congressional Representatives hold a joint session,” the AFP spokesperson said.
Around 14,000 police officers and auxilliaries, including those of JTF-NCR, were deployed to secure this year’s SONA.
Earlier, AFP public affairs office chief Col. Noel Detoyato urged the public to immediately report to authorities any suspicious looking individuals or activities within their immediate vicinity.
“The AFP calls on our citizens to report to authorities any suspicious individuals and activities in their surroundings. The fight against terrorism and the preservation of peace are a shared responsibility of everyone so we should all do our part in this whole of nation approach towards peace and development,” Detoyato stressed.
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