"Those who exercised the right to express the people’s grievances to the Aquino administration were met with repression," Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general said as the group, along with leaders of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) and other progressive organizations, today filed complaints at the Commission on Human Rights against the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the garrison-style containment, use of water cannons and physical injury against the protesters during BS Aquino’s 2014 State of the Nation Address (SONA) last week.
"Those who exercised the right to express the people’s grievances to the Aquino administration were met with repression," Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general said as the group, along with leaders of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) and other progressive organizations, today filed complaints at the Commission on Human Rights against the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the garrison-style containment, use of water cannons and physical injury against the protesters during BS Aquino’s 2014 State of the Nation Address (SONA) last week.
On July 18, 2014, Bayan applied for a permit to hold the annual People’s SONA at the IBP Road in front of the Batasang Pambansa grounds before the Office of the City Mayor of Quezon City under the provisions of Batas Pambansa 880. The application was not acted upon within the two working day period as mandated by Section 6 (b) of the said law. As such, the rally permit application was deemed approved as of the end of business hour on July 22, 2014.
"Instead of honoring the rally application permit, the PNP has violated the rights of the people to free expression, peaceful assembly and redress of grievances during the SONA through the use of water cannon, concrete barriers, concertina wires, and containers vans. The barriers used to contain protesters are signs that the BS Aquino government does not want the true state of the nation to be heard. The use of water cannon was even unnecessary. It was already impossible for the protestors to physically go beyond the barriers, container vans and barb wires, let alone the layers of police with shields and truncheons," Palabay said.
In the complaint, the petitioners asserted that “the harassment, checkpoints, illegal barricades, violent dispersal with water cannons, were draconian measures and criminal acts perpetrated by the respondents in violation of the constitutionally protected rights of the complainants. It is also a violation of the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and international human rights conventions to which the Philippines is a signatory.”
The petitioners in the said complaint are Renato Reyes Jr. of Bayan, Antonio Flores of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, Nenita Gonzaga of Kilusang Mayo Uno, Cristina Palabay of Karapatan, Pastor Guillermo Sediarin of Karapatan Southern Tagalog, Gertrudes Libang of Gabriela, Carlito Badion of Kadamay, George San Mateo of Piston, Paraluman Catuira of Migrante, Gloria Bongon of Kilusang Mayo Uno Metro Manila.
A separate complaint was also filed by members of Migrante International at the Office of the Ombudsman against P/Supt. Victor Pagulayan who used a stun gun on jeepney driver Rodel Tortola, 33 years old, and his daughter Rochel Ann ,who is only 12 years old, during the rally. This same complaint was also filed at the CHR. Migrante hired Rodel Tortola and the jeep he is using on the day of SONA to fetch other members and bring them to the rally. During the commotion between the police and demonstrators, Tortola was forced by the police to give up the jeepney’s keys.
"This is the image of a coward dictator tainted with issues of criminal negligence, corruption and violation of the constitution. While BS Aquino is harping on his false achievements, it is at the same time whipping its stick on the people who are expressing discontent amid poverty, corruption, unemployment and injustices," Palabay concluded.###