The Philippines is set to deploy hundreds of riot police to top holiday island Boracay to keep travelers out and head off potential protests ahead of its six-month closure to tourists, the government said Tuesday. President Rodrigo Duterte has branded the tiny central island and its world-famous white-sand beach a “cesspool”. He has ordered that visitors be kept away from April 26 onwards so facilities to treat raw sewage can be set up and illegal structures torn down. The abrupt decision to close Boracay has forced hundreds of hotels, restaurants, tour operators and other businesses to cancel bookings, leaving clients fuming. The threat of closure first emerged in February when Duterte accused Boracay’s businesses of dumping sewage directly into the island’s turquoise waters.