Rally leaders post bail, vow to defy ‘no permit, no rally’ policy

Three leaders of the Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya (KPD) were freed Monday night after posting a cash bail of P600 each. KPD leaders Pete Pinlac, Carmelita Morante and Jess del Prado, together with 10 of their members, were arrested by the police in Mendiola on Monday morning for violating the "no permit, no rally" policy.

The dispersal operation turned violent when the rallyists clashed with anti-riot policemen.

The 10 KPD members were subsequently freed, but Pinlac, Morante and Del Prado were detained and charged with obstruction and illegal assembly. Pinlac is facing a separate charge of assault against a person in authority for hitting an officer.

Superintendent Arturo Paglinawan, chief of the Manila Police District’s General Assignment Section, said the charges against the 10 KPD members were filed directly before the fiscal’s office for regular preliminary investigation.

The inquest prosecutor dismissed the charges of obstruction against the rally leaders since the charges of violation of Batas Pambansa 880 for illegal assembly already absorbed the previous charge, according to Paglinawan. However, the charges of assault against Pinlac was recommended for further investigation.

Despite the charges, Pinlac and his group vowed to conduct more rallies in the coming days, saying that the "calibrated preemptive response" policy of the government is a form of repression of the Filipino’s right to peaceful assembly.

Paglinawan challenged the group’s lawyers to contest the validity of the government’s policy, including the "no permit, no rally" rule before the courts. "The law remains valid and enforceable unless otherwise pronounced by the court. It is a sworn duty of every policeman to implement the law," he said.

Meanwhile, police dispersed sporadic rallies in various parts of Manila yesterday, including the one organized by the League of Filipino students along Recto Avenue in Sta. Cruz.

Rallyists who tried to march to the Supreme Court along Taft Avenue were also dispersed.