The Police Regional Office Negros Island Region (PRO NIR) has mobilized nearly 600 personnel across Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental ahead of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 27, the regional police command announced.
The deployment is over and above the regular police presence in the region and is intended to strengthen security measures, maintain public order, and ensure public safety for the duration of the national event, according to PRO NIR.
Personnel Positioned Across Both Negros Provinces
PRO NIR said the additional personnel will be strategically positioned throughout the Negros Island Region to sustain operational readiness, intensify monitoring, and enable immediate response to any security concern arising in connection with the SONA.
All PRO NIR units have been placed on alert status. The command said it has established close coordination with partner agencies, force multipliers, and local government units to keep the security effort unified before, during, and after the address.
Marcos Delivers Address at Batasang Pambansa
President Marcos will deliver the address before a joint session of Congress at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City. The program is traditionally scheduled to begin around 4 p.m.
Malacañang has said this year's SONA program will be kept simple, without celebrity directors or high-profile performers, according to the Palace.
Regional Director Affirms Commitment to Constitutional Rights
PRO NIR Regional Director Police Brigadier General Romano V. Cardiño said the safety of every Negrense remains the organization's foremost priority throughout the national event.
"PRO NIR stands fully prepared to ensure that the Fifth State of the Nation Address is conducted in a peaceful, orderly, and secure environment. We respect and uphold every citizen's constitutional right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly, and we remain committed to protecting those rights," Cardiño said.
Cardiño added that the public should exercise those freedoms responsibly and within the bounds of the law. He said personnel would remain "vigilant, disciplined, and mission-focused" in preventing any threat to peace and order while safeguarding the lives, rights, and welfare of every Negrense.
Marcos Enters Final Two Years of Term
The address is Marcos' fifth report to Congress and the nation since taking office in 2022. It comes as his administration enters the final two years of its six-year term.
PRO NIR said it will sustain proactive security operations and strengthen partnerships with stakeholders so that residents can participate in national events in a safe, peaceful, and orderly environment.
By the Numbers
- ~600 — Police personnel deployed across Negros Island Region for SONA security
- 2 — Provinces covered by the deployment: Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental
- 4 p.m. — Traditional start time of the SONA program at Batasang Pambansa
- 2022 — Year Marcos took office; the fifth SONA marks the final stretch of his term
Why This Matters
The near-600-strong deployment represents a significant augmentation of police presence across both Negros provinces, signaling the scale of security coordination required for a national event of this magnitude. PRO NIR's explicit commitment to protecting the right to peaceful assembly is notable, as SONA periods in the Philippines traditionally coincide with public demonstrations and protest actions. Residents across Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental can expect heightened police visibility in their communities throughout the day on July 27.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Police Regional Office — Negros Island Region