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Around 600 members of a militant organization held an indignation
rally in front of the Manila Police District (MPD) headquarters on
Friday morning to condemn the violent dispersal of protestors who
were staging a picket before the Department of Labor and Employment
(DOLE) on Thursday evening.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Southern Tagalog
chapter Secretary-General Arman Albarillo told The Manila Times that
they tried to retrieve five of their members who were detained by
the police but failed.
Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim later went to the MPD
headquarters to move for the release of the five detained
protestors, and a bystander who was also arrested.
The Pagkakaisa ng mga Manggagawa sa Timog
Katagalugan (Pamantik)-Kilusang Mayo Uno said in their statement
that out of the thirty injured, 17 had to receive hospital treatment
because of the violent way the police dispersed the picket.
“The police harshly hit us like blood-thirsty
animals, even hitting bystanders and those already on the ground and
threatening students at a nearby school who simply raised their
fists in support while we passed by,” the statement said.
A worker suffered a finger cut after a policeman
allegedly tried to stab him with a knife.
MPD Director Supt. Rogelio Rosales Jr. said that
only 13 were injured and 10 of them were policemen. Pamantik
Chairman Romeo Legaspi disputes this claim.
“How could this be possible when it was the
police who were on the offensive and who were armed with truncheons,
beating whoever was on their way even if we were already moving away
from the DOLE office?” he explained.
According to the after-rally report of the
police, seven MPD members were hit and injured by stones, wood, and
poles pelted by the protestors.
Nestor Villanueva, Jayson Higa, Emmanuel Dioneda
and Phillip Nardo, and a bystander named Jay Aban were detained at
the MPD headquarters after the dispersal.
The police filed charges of illegal assembly,
assault upon an agent, robbery, and physical injuries against the
protestors.
Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Liza
Maza said Marlon Torres, one of the protestors, was actually
assessed to be under critical condition at the Ospital ng Maynila,
but was forcibly discharged Friday morning and taken to the MPD
headquarters.
“There can be no excuse for this barbaric act
that once more puts the international human rights spotlight into
the Philippines,” Maza said.
-- Ruben D. Manahan 4th
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