Bagong Alyansang Makabayan condemns the Pasay police for violently dispersing a protest against United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose visit in the Philippines brings intensified plunder of our resources and expansion of US military presence and intervention.
Our march was violently blocked by the police who snatched our banner and used their shields to forcibly push us back for several meters and attempted to prevent us from conducting a protest near the PICC, where Rubio was meeting with other diplomats.
Three of our members got injured and suffered bruises on their arms, shoulders, and necks. Two activists, Moro leader Amirah Lidasan and a member of Kalikasan network, were briefly held by the police. Two veteran photojournalists, Bullit Marquez and Rene Dilan, were accosted by the police as well. The police even tried to put handcuffs on Marquez.
The violence displayed by the Pasay police was a disproportionate response to a protest and a blatant violation of the people’s right to free expression. The police failed to exercise maximum tolerance and even carried guns during a protest.
Later, police officials tried to justify their unruly behavior by claiming that it was an “honest mistake” when they tried to arrest journalists. The country’s police chief even argued in a media interview that cursing at cops can trigger an arrest.
The police should be reminded that it is wrong to arbitrarily detain individuals, whether they are journalists or activists, for mere participation and presence in a protest action. The reaction of the police chief reflects the arrogance of authorities and their unwillingness to face accountability.
At the minimum, the Pasay police should be investigated and be held accountable for their brutal actions. They were the same police unit which violently blocked anti-corruption advocates from marching near the Senate during the first day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. The police should be oriented to respect and uphold the people’s right to free speech.
Authorities are adamant in suppressing dissent to protect war criminals and plunderers like Rubio. We condemn Ferdinand Marcos Jr for his subservience to the dictates of the US government. He sells out our patrimony and barters away our sovereignty in exchange of corruption-tainted military aid and deals and political support.
The government silences its own people while laying down a red carpet welcome for a genocide enabler like Rubio whose real agenda is to ramp up US military operations in the Philippines, contain China which is a threat to the supremacy of the US as a superpower, and use our communities as cannon fodder in escalating tension in this part of the world.
Bayan calls on the people to resist US military meddling, reject the US instigated wars and conflicts, condemn the puppetry of Marcos, and fight for genuine freedom and sovereignty.