Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) condemned the “no-rally zone” policy near the Senate premises, saying the measure was overkill and a violation of police commitments to respect people’s right to peaceably hold rallies.
Bayan said at least 12 activists were injured last July 6 when members of the Philippine National Police used the steel edges of their shields to hit protesters.
“Our medic team treated participants with small lacerations and blunt trauma after being hit by police shields,” Bayan secretary general Raymond Palatino said.
Palatino contrasted PNP’s violent dispersal of their crowd to its lenient treatment of a small number of Duterte supporters gathered near the Senate gates.
“We learned later from news reports that there was a ‘miscommunication’ between the Pasay police and the PNP regional command on allowing protests during the trial. This is unacceptable, and the failure of coordination among the police does not give them the right to use violence against citizens,” Palatino complained.
Bayan said the police should respect and uphold freedom of expression in dealing with protests and public assemblies, and apply the same standards to all groups, whether they are pro-Duterte, pro-Marcos, Iglesia ni Cristo members, Catholic groups, or anti-corruption formations like Bayan and the Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot.
“The excessive force used by the Pasay police reflects state intolerance towards dissent, the demonization and criminalization of activism, and the brutal tactics used by security forces to harass, intimidate, and preempt protests,” the group said.
Senate garrison
Bayan said the violent attempt to disperse protests and the layers of metal barriers on the road have turned the Senate into a garrison, belying the Senate leadership’s claim that the people are free to monitor and express their sentiments during the impeachment trial.
“The people’s participation is crucial and necessary in the impeachment to remind senator-judges and all parties involved that truth, accountability, and justice must prevail,” Palatino said.
He bewailed that while technical questions are delaying the deliberation on substantive matters relating to the misuse of funds and abuse of power inside the Senate, security forces outside are driving anti-corruption advocates away.
“Is this a glimpse of what will happen during the impeachment trial for the next six months? We ask the Senate leadership to investigate the police, who violently attacked protesters on July 6,” Palatino demanded. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)