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Police visit at ADMU anti-EJK rally raises concerns
AT LEAST two Quezon City Police District (QCPD) police officers riding an unlicensed black police cruiser visited demonstrators at Gate 2.5 of Ateneo last Thursday night.
The demonstrators were part of a protest organized by some Ateneo alumni in light of the death of 17-year-old Kian Delos Santos and the continuous spate of killings brought about by the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
Around 40 to 50 people were present in the rally at its peak, including high school and undergraduate students, as well as faculty members.
Police arrived at Gate 2.5 a few minutes after a moment of silence and candle lighting ceremony were held at 8:24PM, the exact time of Delos Santos’ death. The vehicle had no plate number, but was later identified with the ID “QCPD-237” on its body.
The unlicensed police car that visited protesters at Gate 2.5 last night was identified as "QCPD-237." Contributed photo.
The officers exited the vehicle and did not initially engage with protesters.
A female Ateneo staff member then approached the officers to allay fears among protesters, who were visibly confused and uneasy with the police’s presence.
According to the staff member, the officers asked her for the purpose of the demonstration as well as the names of the leaders. She refused to give any names.
When the protesters asked the Ateneo security guards stationed at Gate 2.5 if they were able to scan the policemen’s names and faces, the guards said that the policemen looked the other way.
The protesters cleaned up the area and promptly dispersed. The officers, however, stayed in their cruiser until around past 9:00PM, even if the area had already been vacated.
‘Police intimidation’
A number of people on Twitter and Facebook who saw the initial report of the incident denounced it as a case of police intimidation.
In an interview with The GUIDON, School of Social Sciences Representative Dasha Uy said that the police presence at the rally is both “terrifying and disgusting.”
“That they would stoop to such levels–scare tactics against peacefully protesting high school and university students–is telling of the kind of culture this administration has created. Impunity and the suppression of basic freedoms are a dangerous combination,” she said.
Moreover, Uy reassured that the Sanggunian is doing its best to protect the student body, while continuing to speak out against “what is wrong and unjust.”
“We're trying to find the balance between the two–protecting students and fearlessly speaking out–because the fact of the matter is, we should speak out when things get worse. When we're silent we've taken the side of the oppressor. I guess we're going to have to find more creative ways to protest,” she added.
The Union of Students for the Advancement of Democracy has released a statement condemning the incident.
“Masidhi naming kinukundena ang mga pagtatangkang takutin at ipagkait sa taumbayan ang kanilang karapatang magprotesta at ipabatid ang kanilang mga hinanaing,” the statement read.
(We are strongly condemning attempts to intimidate and deprive the people of their right to protest and address their grievances.)
The party also called for another demonstration later today at the same venue.
Kabataan Party List-Katipunan also denounced the police action, calling it a “fascist, anti-student” attack. With reports from Michelle D. Abad, Manuel M. Aldeguer IV, Robbin M. Dagle, Liam C. Lu, and Thea A. Siscar.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a developing story. We will add more updates to this article as they come.
Denounce agad wala pang verification!? Pare-pareho lang pala kayo ng mga trigger-happy na pulis na.pumatay kay Kian.
Police car ba talaga yan? Ganyan ba ang opisyal na kulay ng qcpd police cars? Maliban sa blinker sa bubong at 'tila' sticker na nakaletrang "QCPD 237" sa rear bumper wala nang nakasulat sa gilid. Mukhang private car na pinagmukhang police car. Ano ito, moro-moro? Nakakapagtaka lang, sigurado ako lahat ng partisipante sa rally ay may cellphone pero bakit walang malinaw na picture o video documentation sa nangyari? At bakit ang account ay mula sa isang anggulo na 'kunwari' ay may magandang viewpoint (sa paningin) sa lahat ng nangyayari pero walang 'audio'? Bakit hindi nagbigay ng pahayag o na-interview ang sinasabing nakipag usap at humarap sa mga pulis? Malabo amg account na ito. Malinaw ang tangkang manlinlang o lumikha ng 'sensation' na walang sustansya.
Hindi ko alam kung ano gusto palabasin sa insidenteng ito. Maraming mali sa 'larawan'. Kung noong panahon ng sona pinayagan ng gobyerno na magrally ang kahit na sino at makalapit sa kongreso, ang mga pulis hindj pinayagang humawak ng baril, truncheon at kalasag, at sinabi mismo ni Duterte na magrally ang sinuman hanggang sa gusto nila huwag lang manggulo.... kung hindi natatakot ang gobyerno sa anumang rally at tahasan pa ngang hinahamon ang sinumang may gusto na magrally hanggang makuntento e bakit naman papatulan ng pulis ang iilang estudyante na nagrarally sa halos sariling bakuran nito? May ginawa na bang paglilinaw ang Organizer ng rally at Guidon sa PNP mismo kaugnay sa insidente?
Wait lang, I support the protesters pero parang overreaction naman ata yung comments about the police. Paano naging intimidation yun, eh wala naman ginagawa yung pulis sa kanila. Based sa article, Nandun lang yung pulis, observing, in fact sabi ng article na yung isa sa protester yung unang lumapit sa kanila. Kahit ano naman mass demonstrations, duty ng police to ensure na maging peaceful ito at hindi maging out of hand. Yung ang reason kaya nandun sila to observe. Kung nagbunot bigla yan ng baril at pinakita sa protesters, i would be the first to condemn those two policemen as intimidating the protesters( or kung nagpadala sila ng isang battalion ng pulis). Pero the mere fact na nandun lang sila, dalawang pulis lang sila, observing the demonstrations, tapos sasabihin mo kaagad na intimidation yun, i think that is overreacting na. In fact kung may biglang magkagulo diyan sa mass rally na yan(halimbawa may nagsuntukan, or may counter-protesters na gusto guluhin yung peaceful demonstration) and there is no police around to keep the peace, masasabihan yung pulis na negligent siya sa duties niya o kaya d niya ginagampanan ang trabaho niya.I bet kung may biglang car or van na mag-attempt sagasaan yang mga protesters tulad sa virginia (or may biglang mag knife attack tulad sa Finland or magpasabog ng bomba tulad sa germany), yung mga nagsasabing nag-intimidate daw yung pulis, siguro sila pa yung unang magagalit bakit walang pulis who will be around to help them and protect them. Pag ganun, for sure na by that time na maka-respond sila to any terrorist attempt, magiging too late na so it helps na nandun na sila kaagad and i don't think intimidation yun. Ngayon, as to asking for the purpose of the protest and sino leaders of the protest, i don't see anything wrong with that. Natural kung may magkagulo or maging out of control yung protest, yung leaders yung unang tatanungin nila kung ano nangyari. So as a Final Note, I know kung ano ginagawa ng pulis nung panahon ng Martial law. And alam ko rin kung ano ginagawa ng ibang mga lokong pulis recently tulad nung kay Kian and I also condemn those, pero i think it is absurd na i-generalize lahat ng pulis and i-condemn itong dalawang pulis na ito who are just doing their jobs as intimidating protesters. Please remember na yung purpose ng presence ng pulis is not automatically to intimidate as you would assume, pero sometimes it is just to preserve the peace, sometimes it is simply to look out for your own protection( lalo na kung wala naman silang ginagawa other than standing sa gilid)
Reminiscence of the Marcos years, full of intimidation and curtailing press freedom!