Police eye charges against protesters

CEBU, Philippines — Police are planning to press charges against over 150 militants, including a state university professor, for damaging a government property during a protest rally yesterday.

The Police Regional Office-7 had to disperse the protesters after they started breaking the gate of the police headquarters.

The protesters were angry after the PRO-7 played a loud music to drown the noise from the militants.

Demanding the police to turn off the music, at least 10 protesters started banging and pushing the gate of the camp.

University of the Philippines professor Phobee Zoe Sanchez said they were offended by the loud music played by the police while they were having an activity outside the police camp.

“Sa kadaghanan ang dalan, mao normal naa mi sa gawas, maong diri mi mubarog, ila ilubong among tingog pinaagi aning kusog kayo nga sounds, nabastos mi ani,” Sanchez said.

(The road is for everybody, that is why we are here standing outside, but they want to drown our voices by playing a very loud music. We were insulted.”

Senior Superintendent Remos Medina said they were just monitoring the rally from his office, when the protesters started becoming unruly prompting him to go out and tried to negotiate. Medina said the protesters were demanding that they turn off the music.

Senior Superintendent Ronald Oliver Lee, Chief Directorial Staff, also tried to negotiate but ended up in a heated argument with the protesters.

“Sinabi ko sa kanila, huwag sila manira ng property kapag naninira sila, huhulihin namin sila, papayagan sila, huwag lang sila manira – maximum tolerance pa naman,” Lee said.

But Supt. Pedrillo Villamor, chief of the regional headquarters security unit, decided to disperse the protesters to prevent further provocation.

“Gipugnangn nato nga mo-escalate kay kuyaw man to, kay ang pulis once masuko basin mamusil,” Villamor said.

(We prevented the situation from escalating because it was already dangerous, once the police are provoked it might end up in shooting)

Medina said they will be investigating the incident and file charges against the protesters.

“First of all, wala man sila permit, it should have been peaceful wala dapat ingun ana, pwede ra i-tolerate ang disrespect to authorities bahalag hindi maganda tingnan – they should at least act accordingly, we respect naman their rights,” he said.

The militant groups were holding protest actions yesterday to commemorate the 33rd EDSA People Power Revolution. (FREEMAN)