Militants picket WPD over dispersal

Some 100 militants picketed the headquarters of the Western Police District (WPD) on UN Avenue in Ermita, Manila yesterday afternoon to denounce the alleged brutality during the dispersal of their mass actions on Plaza Miranda on Tuesday night.

The rallyists also called for the release of their four companions arrested during the rally, which was staged to pressure the government to pull out troops in Iraq in order to save hostage Angelo de la Cruz.

Holding placards with slogans "No permit, no rally means no freedom" and "WPD, the new Hitler," the rallyists stormed the gate of the WPD headquarters at around 2:55 p.m.

Police, however, padlocked all possible entrances which prevented the rallyists from entering the WPD compound.

Instead the rallyists, belonging to Bayan Muna, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Anak ng Bayan, Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) and Courage, took turns in denouncing Manila police officials outside of the WPD headquarters. The rally, which lasted almost an hour, also tied up traffic in the area as the participants occupied half of the two-way street fronting the headquarters.

Police maintained maximum tolerance but were on high alert for any possible forced intrusion of the rallyists into the police compound.

ACT chairman Antonio Tinio said they are asking for the immediate release from police custody of four of their members including Akbayan leader Renato Reyes.

Tinio alleged the police employed "overkill" tactics during the dispersal operations resulting in the wounding of a number of their members. He said their groups were merely holding a prayer vigil for De la Cruz at the Plaza Miranda when the police used truncheons and water canons to disperse them.

"Plaza Miranda is a designated freedom park for the rallyists yet the police brutally drove us away. That incident was a violation of the constitutional right of every person to assembly," he said.

Tinio said their groups will request their party-list allies in Congress to call for a congressional inquiry on the alleged "martial law-type" dispersal operations of the Manila police.

Sta. Cruz police station chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula, the leader of the police group which dispersed the Plaza Miranda rallyists, claimed it was the rallyists who provoked and attacked with stones his policemen. The injured cops were identified as Inspector John Guiagui, PO3 Calvin Capuno, SPO1 Danilo Quitson, PO3 Michael Marinas and PO2 Adel Lucero.

Sapitula said members of the militant Akbayan led by Reyes tried to park their vehicle at the prohibited area of Plaza Miranda. Failing to do so, the rallyists occupied the middle portion of Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo causing heavy traffic, according to Sapitula.

A commotion then ensued during negotiations for the peaceful dispersal of the rallyists. Aside from Reyes, police arrested and charged with direct assault, illegal assembly and resisting arrest rallyists Alberto Villamor, Edgar Palda and Dizeli Gochangco.