All is set for Tuesday’s hearing of the November 23, 2009 Maguindanao massacre to be held in Camp Crame, Quezon City, with the Philippine National Police (PNP) declaring its highest alert status inside its headquarters and even suspending the operations of some of its units located in the vicinity of the trial venue.

Senior Supt. Gordon Descanzo, deputy chief of PNP Headquarters Support Service, said a total of 380 policemen have already been tapped to secure Camp Crame while “enough number” of policemen will be stationed outside, some of them assigned to deal with the possible arrival of protesters.

“We have already placed our entire unit here inside Camp Crame under full alert status. We are ready to secure the hearing,” said Descanzo.

Aside from lawmen who will be posted to man the traffic and to check all the people and vehicles entering Camp Crame, the official said a total of 30 policemen will be stationed inside the Police Non-Commissioned Officer (PNCO) hall where the hearings will be conducted.

The 30 lawmen, he said, will be armed only with nightsticks in anticipation of the possible clashes between the relatives of Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., who is the only suspect expected to attend the hearing, and the Mangudadatus.

A total of six personnel from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will also be present inside the courtroom.

To maximize the security preparations, Descanzo said the operation of the Firearms and Explosive Division (FED) and the Highway Patrol Group will be temporarily suspended today, adding that Paulino Santos St., where the PNCO Hall is located, will be closed to traffic.

“There will be strict implementation of No ID (identification card), no entry policy. All vehicles that will enter Camp Crame will be checked for security reasons, and we also designated a parking lot for Camp Crame visitors, which is in front of the grandstand,” said Descanzo.

For his part, Supreme Court spokesman Midas Marquez said there will be no live media coverage of the trial which is expected to start at around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, citing previous jurisprudence like the libel case involving the late President Corazon Aquino and the plunder case of former President Joseph Estrada.

“We are trying to avoid the arguments raised before that live media coverage could lead to trial by publicity, impartial hearing, and violates the constitutional rights of every accused for a due process. Live media coverage will not be allowed unless the Supreme Court reverses its previous rulings,” said Marquez.

Even cellular phones, laptops, and other electronic gadgets such as recorders will also be prohibited inside the courtroom, said Marquez.

“Due to space constraints, the litigants and their relatives, counsel, security personnel, and accredited media shall be given priority in entering the courtroom.

An area for the media covering the hearing shall be designated inside the courtroom. Only accredited members of the media on a “first come, first served” basis shall be allowed inside the courtroom. Considering space constraints, only one reporter per media entity can enter the court room,” said Marquez.

The setting up of a wide screen for those covering outside the courtroom was initially agreed upon but Marquez said it was later delisted from the regulations in order to give the presiding judge, Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes, the discretion to decide on the matter.

But Marquez said they will discuss the possibility of hiring artists to come up with sketches, depicting the hearing to make up for the “no live” media coverage rule.

One of the issues that is expected to be discussed in today’s hearing is the petition for bail made by the lawyers of Ampatuan, but Marquez said he is not certain that it will be taken up as other issues may crop up during the proceedings.