Republic of the Philippines

National Police Commission

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE
POLICE REGIONAL OFFICE CORDILLERA
Camp Bado Dangwa, La Trinidad, Benguet
Telefax: (074) 422-5515

SUBJECT : RPCRD INFORMATION OPERATIONS (IO) PLAN RE: PNP MC

No. 2016-063: Police Operational Procedures on Civil
Disturbance Management (CDM) Operations

TO : See Distribution

DATE : November 9, 2016

1. REFERENCES:

a. PNP MC No. 2016-063: Police Operational Procedures on Civil

Disturbance Management (CDM) Operations,
b. PNP MC No. 2016-007 Institutionalization of Information Operations (IO)
in Police Operations dated February 11, 2016; and
c. PNP LOI 13/2011 (SANG-INGAT-CHARLIE) dated April 13, 2011.

2. SITUATION
As a democratic country, public assemblies have been an integral part of the
publics right to express their concern and passion on a certain issue and/or air their
grievances against the government. Likewise, these are also used by cause-oriented
groups to champion reforms that they want to push in the government. While public
assemblies are generally characterized as peaceful gatherings, there are some that
end in violence especially when negotiations between the demonstrators and the
government representatives or law enforcers fail.

Some of the public assemblies that ended in violent dispersals were the
Mendiola Massacre on January 22, 1987 that resulted in the death of 13 farmers and
wounding of more than a hundred other, the violent rally dispersal at the Hacienda
Luisita, Tarlac on November 16, 2004 that resulted in the death of seven farmers and
wounding of more than hundred, and the latest violent rally dispersal occurred in
Kidapawan City on April 1, 2016, that resulted in the death of two persons and
wounding of at least 116 others, including police personnel.

In all the incidents cited above, the Philippine National Police (PNP) have
been thrown tirades and blamed for the shortcomings of its Civil Disturbance
Management (CDM) Operations. Thus, a Memorandum Circular No. 2016-063 was
signed to establish operational guidelines and procedures in the conduct of CDM
operations.

Along with this guideline, Information Operations (IO) plays an important role
to synchronize all the information and actions when a public assembly may turn into a
violent incident. Thus, this IO Plan is warranted.

3. OBJECTIVES:
The following are the objectives of this IO Plan in providing deliberate
information operations to ensure a favorable perceptive environment, to wit;

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 a. To effectively convey to the target audiences the security preparations
and readiness of the PNP for Civil Disturbance Management (CDM)
Operations;
b. To influence, disrupt, corrupt or usurp adversarial actions and decision
making to prevent any a public assembly to end in a violent dispersal;
c. To shape a favorable operational environment for the PNP thereby
reducing chances for negative publicity from taking place; and
d. To bolster coordination and cooperation among the community, the PNP,
and stakeholders for the peaceful convening of public assemblies.

4. TARGET AUDIENCE (TA):

The audiences are elemental in shaping the tangible and intangible

outcomes of the strategic and tactical goals and objectives of this Plan. Hence, these
are categorized, viz:

a. Internal:

1) PNP Personnel;

b. External:

1) Militant Groups/Cause-Oriented
2) LGUs;
3) Other Stakeholders;
4) Force multipliers;
5) General Populace; and
6) Media.

5. EXECUTION

a. Concept of Operation:

The Information Operations (IO) of the PNP for public assemblies will
primarily focus on the proper coordination of information to further ensure the
synchronization and integration of all courses of actions among PNP Offices/Units
concerned.

The QUAD concept of policing shall be adopted for the entire duration of this
IO Plan. The Special Information Operations Team (SIOT) primarily composed of the
QUAD Staff may be activated at the CPOs/PPOs if its a city/provincial concern, at the
PROs if it is affecting other provinces within the region, or at the NHQ if it becomes a
multi-regional problem (Annex A).

1) NEGOTIATIONAL STAGE This phase involves the measures on ensuring a

peaceful conduct of an assembly and preventing the occurrence of violence in the
said assembly.

Specific Actions Target Conditions OPR

Timely provision of Intel Well-coordinated information and plan of Intel, PCR
Reports actions
Coordination with Negotiation between leaders and law PCR
assembly organizers enforcers to achieve a win-win solution
Engagement with LGUs
Engagement with other Well-coordinated information and well
Stakeholders that may be accorded plans of actions and respective PCR
affected during the roles
conduct of assembly
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 Mobilization of Community To discourage participants from joining
Action Team (ComActs) the assembly and to counter alleged
where mass organization misinformation propagated by the PCR
and mobilization are organizers
evident

2) ASSEMBLY STAGE This stage involves the courses of action on the pre, during,
and post CDM operations.

a) On Pre-CDM Operations Involves the planning, coordinating, and collaborating of

the different PNP Units/Offices in the courses of actions, and actual implementation
of activities for Civil Disturbance Management (CDM) Operations, viz:

Specific Actions Target Conditions OPR

SIOT Meeting Well-coordinated information and plan of actions QUAD
Staff
Orientation of CDM Well oriented CDM personnel
personnel on the Operation
POP s
Continuous Peaceful assembly of Protesters or Pickets
engagement with PCR
crowd organizers
Continuous Well-coordinated information and well accorded
engagement with plans of actions and respective roles PCR
Stakeholders Possible activation of Synchronized
Communications (Synccom) group if assembly
turned to be violent
Engagement with Support the police and other law enforcement
Force Multipliers agencies in conducting public safety services PCR
Public Information Well-informed public (crowds, commuters,
drivers, etc.) on pertinent information relative to
the event, awareness on bomb and terror PCR
threats, and the security coverage to be
undertaken by the PNP

b) During CDM Operations Involves the timely, unified, synchronized, and

systematic employment of actions and deployment of information to the TA through
appropriate channels of communication, viz:

Specific Actions Target Conditions OPR

Activation of the NHQ SIOT Well-coordinated information and QUAD
synchronized actions Staff
CDM Operations strictly Control and/or negate the eruption of
without firearms and emotions and violent confrontations
policewomen as front liners PCR/Intel./
(optional) with complete Operations
gears and equipment
Technical documentation of Transparency and strict adherence to
the event police operational procedure including
documentation of all engagements PCR/Intel
Public Information Well-informed public (crowds,
commuters, drivers, etc.) on pertinent
information relative to the event,
awareness on bomb and terror threats, PCR
and the security coverage to be
undertaken by the PNP
Social Media Operations Monitor and report protesters posts and
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Issue Management
intensify social media presence to show
the intensive security preparation of the ACG/PCR
PNP
Well-informed public on the actions PCR
taken by the PNP

If the SIOT, through continues assessment, thinks the assembly will turn
out of hand, the following additional courses of actions may be conducted:
Specific Actions Target Conditions OPR
Activation of Synchronized Well-coordinated information and QUAD Staff,
Communications (Synccom) synchronized actions LGUs and
Group composed of the other
SIOT, LGUs, and other stakeholders
stakeholders
Activation of Media Center Manage the media by conducting PCR
regular press briefings or updates on
the incident
Legal action as situation Adherence to due process and Legal
warrants restoration of law and order Service/Invest

c) POST-ASSESSMENT STAGE This stage encompass the conduct of performance

assessment, identification of issued/challenges faced and best practices during the
implementation of the Plan. Thus, it is imperative to initiate the preparation of a
deliberate information operation on a positive/negative outcome, viz:

Specific Actions Target Conditions OPR

Post-assessment/debriefing Replication of best practices and/or QUAD
immediate correction of operational Staff
lapses
Continuous Issue Well-informed public on the actions PCR
Management taken by the PNP
Commend the SIOT, Force Give commendation and awards for QUAD
Multipliers, and Synccom the successful operations Staff

Consequently, the following are the indicators of a successful IO;

a) Positive views from the public;

b) Minimize opportunity and victimization during the assembly;
c) No reports of police violence during CDM operations;
d) Mobilization of force multipliers and group volunteers;
e) Lesser participants in anti-government protests; and
f) No pending or unaccomplished tasks.

b. Tasks:

1) RPCRD

a) Designated as Head of the Regional SIOT once activated;

b) Monitor existing and potential issues/problems related/pertaining
to the CDM operations;
c) Ensure the maximum compliance of PNP units on their
respective tasks outlined in this Plan;
d) Formulate and issue supplementary Media Lines;
e) OPR for the production of IEC materials such as primers, leaflets,
and flyers, as well as infographics to be posted on the PNP
Website and social networking sites;

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 f) Publish PNP Good Deeds/ feature articles of police personnels
experiences during CDM operations;
g) Oversee undesirable narratives especially reports on police
violence during CDM operations;
h) Designate a focal person to the Regional SIOT; and
i) Perform other tasks as directed.

2) RID

a) Designated as Principal Member to the Regional SIOT once

activated;
b) Supervise the conduct of intelligence and counter intelligence
operations;
c) Provide situation updates to the Regional SIOT relative to the
public assembly once activated;
d) Designate a PCO, preferably PCI, as alternate member of the
SIOT; and
e) Perform other tasks as directed.

3) ROPD

a) Designated as Principal Member to the Regional SIOT once

activated;
b) Mobilize and supervise the conduct of all CDM operations by
PNP offices/units;
c) Provide situation updates to the Regional SIOT relative to the
public assembly once activated;
d) Designate a PCO, preferably PCI, as alternate member of the
Regional SIOT; and
e) Perform other tasks as directed.

4) RIDMD

a) Designated as Principal Member to the Regional SIOT once

activated;
b) Provide investigative data to the Regional SIOT once activated;
c) Designate a PCO, preferably PCI as alternate member of the
Regional SIOT; and
d) Perform other tasks as directed.

5) Other D-Staff (RCD and RLRDD)

a) Provide appropriate support to the Regional SIOT once activated;

and
b) Perform other tasks as directed.

6) RPIO

a) Act as the Official Spokesperson of the Regional SIOT once

activated on concurrent capacity;
b) Publish PNP Good Deeds/features articles of police personnels
experiences during CDM operations;
c) Optimize social media presence to maximize the dissemination of
pertinent information and advisories on PNPs initiatives in
ensuring a peaceful and orderly public assembly; and
d) Perform other tasks as directed.

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 7) RSUs

a) Provide appropriate support and assistance to RPCRD in the

implementation of this IO Plan;
b) Initiate and ensure widest dissemination of Media Lines to all
personnel;
c) Optimize social media presence to maximize the dissemination of
pertinent information and advisories on PNPs initiatives in
ensuring a peaceful and orderly public assembly; and
d) Perform other tasks as directed.

8) PPOs/CPO

a) Implement this IO Plan;

b) Initiate and ensure widest dissemination of Media Lines to all
personnel;
c) Publish PNP Good Deeds/feature articles of police personnels
experiences during CDM operations;
d) Engage and coordinate with leaders of LGUs, transport groups,
and other cause-oriented groups prior to the convening of public
assembly;
e) Mobilize force multipliers to support the security operations of the
PNP before, during, and after the public assembly;
f) Optimize social media presence to maximize the dissemination of
pertinent information and advisories on PNPs initiatives in
ensuring a peaceful and orderly public assembly;
g) Mobilize the Community Action Teams (ComAcTs) to undertake
activities such as but not limited to dialogues, pro-government
rally/parade to PNP accredited NGOs;
h) Publish PNP Good Deeds/ feature articles of police personnels
experiences during CDM operations;
i) Oversee undesirable narratives especially reports on police
violence during CDM operations;
j) Designate a PCO to supervise the mobilization of force
multipliers to support the security operations of the PNP before,
during and after the CDM operations;
k) Designate a focal person to the Regional SIOT;
l) Localize this IO PLAN and submit to RPCRD one week after the
receipt of this IO Plan;
m) Activate Synccom when necessary composed of the SIOT, LGUs,
and other stakeholder; and
n) Perform other tasks as directed.

c. Coordinating Instructions

1) All tasked offices/units shall exercise initiative and resourcefulness for

an effective execution of this Plan;
2) Lateral coordination of all tasked offices/units is strictly authorized
and highly encouraged for an extensive and well-coordinated
Information Operations; and
3) This IO Plan shall form parts of the Contingency Plan of the PNP
relative to the event.

6. REPEALING CLAUSE:

All other directives, orders, issuances which are inconsistent with this IO Plan
are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

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 7. EFFECTIVITY

This IO Plan shall take effect immediately upon approval.

ELMO FRANCIS OCO SARONA

Police Chief Superintendent
Regional Director
Distribution:
D-Staff
C, PIO
NSU
RCDS
RPHRDD
RID
RLD
RPCRD
RCD
RHSG
ALL PPOs/CPO/RPSB

Copy furnished:

Command Group