Manila: The National Capital Region Police Office will be placed on full alert starting Sept. 19 to ensure peace and security ahead of rallies scheduled for Sept. 21 in Metro Manila, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Thursday. The full alert status will start at midnight on Friday, with full deployment by Saturday afternoon, PNP spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co informed reporters during a press briefing at Camp Crame.

According to Philippines News Agency, the full alert status is the PNP's highest level of operational readiness and security deployment, suspending all leaves for officers and requiring all personnel of the units concerned to be on standby. "We will be deploying more than 15,700 personnel, and the instruction is that all security personnel will not be carrying their firearms. Our body-worn cameras will be used for the said security operations," Co stated. However, he did not specify when the full alert status would be lifted.

The PNP is particularly concerned about an incident that occurred on the same date last year, involving a small youth group that burned vehicles and attacked policemen on roads leading to Malaca±ang Palace. A police investigation later revealed a plan to attack Malaca±ang at that time. Co assured that security will be in place on all roads leading to Malaca±ang to prevent a similar attempt this year.

"We have contingency plans in place. We do not see any specific threats as of now but we are continuously monitoring the situation. If we receive information, we would verify, validate and act if we need to," Co said. He also urged protesters to police their own ranks and help prevent confrontations with the police. "The PNP respects everyone's rights to peacefully assemble, but we want to remind people that their constitutional protection ends when another person's rights are violated," he emphasized.

Co reiterated that all civil disturbance management personnel would not carry firearms and that body-worn cameras would be utilized for security operations. He added that the chief PNP has directed the exercise of maximum tolerance at all times and in all instances during the protests. Co further noted that the police force has yet to monitor any security threats.

He also reminded protesters to observe ordinances prohibiting the burning of effigies and the wearing of balaclavas and face coverings in public establishments and while dismounted from motorcycles in the City of Manila. Co disputed the "overkill" tag, asserting that PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. had directed the agency to exercise "maximum tolerance" for the anticipated protests.

"It's better to be excessive as they say, to ensure the general public will not be endangered nor inconvenienced," he said. "We studied this. We consulted with stakeholders concerned with this activity. We saw the need for security on that day," he added.

NCRPO officer-in-charge Brig. Gen. Christopher Abrahano said the regional police force would be raising its alert level for the protest actions. "We need a lot of personnel. There will be no leaves allowed. We have to work together, and we need a pool of policemen to safeguard our streets. The desire of our leadership and chief PNP is to get help from neighboring regions to ensure the capital is safe," he stated. "We are also establishing coordination with the known leaders of these groups to warn them, to make arrangements with them this early," Abrahano added.

On Sept. 21, 2025, anti-corruption rallies were held in parts of the NCR, stemming from public outrage over the flood control and infrastructure corruption scandal.