Some 1,000 indigenous and Moro people led by “national minority” alliance group Sandugo rallied in front of the Philippine National Police headquarters at Camp Rafael T. Crame here to protest Wednesday’s violent dispersal at the US. (Paulo C. Rizal/davaotoday.com)
QUEZON CITY, Philippines – Some 1,000 indigenous and Moro people led by “national minority” alliance group Sandugo rallied in front of the Philippine National Police headquarters at Camp Rafael T. Crame here to protest Wednesday’s violent dispersal at the US Embassy.
On Monday, Jerome Succor Aba, spokesperson of Suara Bangsamoro and a convenor of Sandugo, called for the prosecution of Manila Police Deputy Director for Operations Col. Marcelino Pedrozo and PO3 Franklin Kho.
“It is not enough to just suspend them, Col. Pedrozo and PO3 Kho must be jailed for their crimes against the national minorities,” Aba said.
Organizers have claimed that the clash between the police and the protesters started after Pedrozo ordered the dispersal, which came as the protest was coming to an end. Meanwhile, Kho has been pinpointed as the driver of the police vehicle that ran over protesters, injuring four.
“The provocation came first from the side of the Police. We were already peacefully holding the demonstration for an hour, and was about to finish the program when Pedrozo came and ordered the dispersal,” Aba added.
Meanwhile, Katribu secretary general and Sandugo lead convener Piya Macliing Malayao expressed their willingness to talk with the President.
“Sandugo is open to talk with the president. We will also present all of the evidences such as the videos we have gathered from all the mainstream media outfits as well as from our own documentors,” Malayao said.
“We will present our side, especially me who was one of those injured by the police vehicle driven by Kho. We will tell President Duterte what really happened,” Malayao added. She suffered major abrasions to her right leg after she was ran over by the police van.
Duterte left Tuesday for his three-day state visit to Japan. On Saturday, upon his arrival from China, Duterte said he would talk to both the police and the protesters to know what happened during the dispersal.
Kho apologized for his actions on national television, but has denied that his actions were deliberate, saying that he was only trying to escape the protesters.
Pedrozo and Kho, along with 7 other police officials of the Manila Police District were relieved from their posts pending an investigation. 40 other police officers have been placed under restrictive custody.
Complaint filed before JMC
The IP and Moro leaders have forwarded their complaints to the joint monitoring committee of the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines against police officials.
The JMC monitors the compliance of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), the first comprehensive agreement to come out of the peace negotiation between the government and the NDFP.
According to an urgent action alert released by human rights group Karapatan, an estimated 1,500 protesters were subjected to beatings from truncheons, water cannons, tear gas, and the repeated ramming of a police mobile through the ranks of the protesters. Karapatan said the protesters were on peaceful assembly.
The protesters’ complaint included four cases of frustrated killings and illegal arrests. At least 61 individuals were physically assaulted and illegally arrested, including five members of the medical team responding to the injured. (davaotoday.com)
