A militant urban poor group defended the violence committed by some militants against some riot policemen in a protest yesterday within the compound of the National Anti-Poverty Commission in Quezon City.
Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) said that the militants' action was called by the situation after members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) showed to the protesters an M16 baby armalite, which a clear violation of gun ban among police enforcers in controlling protest actions.
"According to the Commision on Human Rights, the police are only allowed to use truncheons and shields and should observe maximum tolerance in controlling protests staged by militants," said Carlito Badion, Kadamay national secretary-general, who claimed the protesters were only provoked to act violently.
Some Kadamay members from Quezon City joined yesterday hundreds of coconut farmers under Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas in their protest against NAPC chief Joel Rocamora's plan to partake some P11.7 billion from the coco levy fund.
Got what he deserved
"The violence that sparked yesterday is insignificant compared to the brutalities that urban poor militants suffered from the state forces under the Aquino administration," he added.
Kadamay said QCPD Station 2 commander Superintendent Pedro Sanchez Pedro Sanchez, the police chief who was among those who suffered injuries in yesterday's violence, only got what he deserved.
The group said that the police chief has led cases of brutal crack down of urban poor's protests against demolition of homes in North Triangle in Barangay Bagong Pag-asa and in West Riverside in Barangay Del Monte," Badion said.
Both communities are under the jurisdiction of Station 2 of the Quezon City Police Department.
Sanchez and his men are also involved in an abduction attempt on a leader of Kadamay-North Triangle in October last year, according to the group.
DILG's inaction
Meanwhile, Kadamay slammed the inaction of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on reported brutalities of riot policemen against militants especially in quelling urban poor's resistance against demolition of their homes.
"Last year, we lost two of our members because of bullets that were fired from the police line: Arnel Leonor from Silverio Compound in Paranaque City, and John Cali Llagrimas from San Roque in Tarlac City. The DILG has done nothing with regards to the killings, and has continued to let police enforcers to carry guns in quelling our protests," Badion added.
"We cannot just let our bodies be strafed with their bullets," he said.
Kadamay said that the violence yesterday only shows that they are ready to commit extra-judicial means to counter police brutalities against militants tolerated under the Aquino administration as part of its counter-insurgency program, Oplan Bayanihan. ###
Reference: Carlito Badion, Kadamay national secretary-general, 0939.387.3736
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