Manila cops ready for Pacquiao-Marquez face-off

Manila police on Saturday declared themselves ready to secure the anticipated face-off between Filipino boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao and Mexican champ Juan Manuel Marquez. As early as 6 a.m., the Manila Police District positioned bike-riding tourist police and uniformed personnel around the Quirino Grandstand and Rizal Park, MPD head Chief Superintendent Roberto Rongavilla said. "Naka-deploy na ang ating mga tao. Sa bawa't lugar ng Quirino Grandstand at papunta sa Rizal Park, very visible ang ating pulis," Rongavilla said in an interview on dzBB radio. Last Friday, he ordered the MPD placed on heightened alert for the Pacquiao-Marquez face-off effective 6:30 a.m. Saturday. Rongavilla personally supervised the security preparations for the event early Saturday, according to a report by dzBB's Carlo Mateo. The police teams in the area include contingents from the Civil Disturbance Management (CDM) and tourist police. Personnel from police stations near the area were also deployed in the area, Rongavilla said. "May SWAT din na galing NCRPO (We also have a Special Weapons and Tactics team from the National Capital Region Police Office)," he said. Filipino boxing fans were expected to troop to the Quirino Grandstand to watch the face-off between Pacquiao and Marquez, to drum up support for their Nov. 12 bout. Marquez arrived in the Philippines last Thursday to promote the fight. — LBG, GMA News