Police secured Friday noon the premises of flag carrier Philippine Airlines in southern Metro Manila, hours before the airline's union was to start a mass action.
The Southern Police District deployed mobile units to the PAL office's Gates 1 and 2 as early as 11 a.m., radio dzBB's Sam Nielsen reported.
SPD anti-riot units were also deployed to the area in anticipation of the mass action, which was scheduled to start at 3 p.m.
PAL Employees Association (PALEA) said it expects spouses and teenage children of union members to join the rally.
PALEA is in a bitter dispute with PAL management over the fate of some 2,600 members affected by PAL's spinoff of three non-core businesses.
The union said the rally should serve as a "final warning" to PAL against enforcing a lockout on the workers.
It claimed more than 1,000 PAL employees are to attend the protest with hundreds more from labor and church groups supporting PALEA’s cause.
According to PALEA, the protesters will assemble by 2:30 p.m. at PAL Nichols Gate 2 then march to the Our Lady of the Airways Parish at the corner of MIA and Sucat Roads for a program that will last until 8:00 p.m.
Meanwhile, Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group 1st Police Center for Aviation Security (PCAS) chief Col. Manny Pintado said 150 policemen from the PCAS' "crowd control unit" were already deployed to secure the airport perimeter complex.
Pintado said he had already talked with PALEA president Gerry Rivera and other union officers that the rally will be contained only at the Our Lady of Parish Airways (OLAP).
“They said their group have no plans of going through NAIA 2 and even at the PAL Inflight Center, and we only let them do their protest at the OLAP," Pintado said in a phone interview.
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has also deployed their own airport security to support the cops.
"The PALEA officers had promised us that it will be a very, very peaceful rally, and we also trust them," Pintado added.
PAL advisory
Earlier, PAL advised passengers with Friday flights to leave for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at least four hours before their scheduled flight.
In an advisory, PAL said the PALEA had scheduled a mass action within the vicinity of the airport Friday afternoon to mark its anniversary.
"Passengers for (Friday's) flights are advised to leave much earlier than usual for the airport, or at least four hours before their scheduled departure time, in anticipation of heavy traffic along the roads leading to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)," it said. — with a report by B.L. Vergara/LBG
