Malacañang yesterday justified the use of water cannons to break up the protest rally heading towards Mendiola last Friday night, saying that the protesters disregarded warnings to stay within the designated rally sites.

"We can avoid this kind of incident if they coordinate with the city government. It was clear that they had a permit for a rally at the Plaza Miranda... but we don’t know why they went against the prior agreement," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said in a radio interview.

Before the police dispersal, Bunye recalled that Manila Mayor Jose "Lito" Atienza Jr. repeatedly appealed to the group of priests, nuns and opposition leaders to stay within Plaza Miranda and not to proceed to nearby Mendiola where the organizers failed to get a permit.

Former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. and opposition Sen. Jamby Madrigal were among the people hurt when riot police hosed down the protest march towards Malacañang after holding a prayer rally in Plaza Miranda earlier last Friday.

Bunye explained that the City of Manila has made Mendiola off limits to street demonstrations because it is within the university belt where several schools and universities are located.

Among the educational institutions in the area are San Beda College, Centro Escolar University, La Consolacion College and College of the Holy Spirit.

"It would be a great inconvenience for the thousands of students who want to study compared to about 100 to 200 protesters," he said.

To avoid another violent dispersal, Bunye appealed to groups planning to stage rallies to secure the proper permits from the local government and as much as possible avoid disrupting traffic and business activities.

He said the government would continue to break up rallies without permits under its "calibrated preemptive response" rule.

"The government is not curtailing the people’s right to express themselves. What we are only requesting is for them to hold rallies in designated places," he said.

He said the Manila city government has offered freedom parks, such as Luneta Park, Plaza Miranda and Liwasang Bonifacio, as alternative rally venues.

Malacañang earlier announced it was planning to establish a no-rally zone around the Palace, including the Mendiola Bridge, as additional security from daily anti-government protests.

Bunye said the planned protest-free radius from the Palace would be patterned after the heightened security in the White House in Washington D.C.

Dispersal by water  cannon a police  judgment call – MPD

By RIZAL S. OBANIL

The Manila Police District (MPD) described the "controversial" dispersal of rallyists in Mendiola Friday night as a mere "judgment call’’ on the part of one of their officers.

Supt. Florencio Ortilla took the responsibility, as he was, according to initial findings from the General Assignment Section (GAS), assigned as the Deputy Ground Commander of the area where law enforcers and a "breakaway group’’ of protesters met.

However, MPD director Chief Supt. Pedro Bulaong defended Ortilla, saying that the latter might have been left with no choice but to order a fireman to douse water on rushing protesters "to prevent further physical contact’’.

Bulaong said that at 6 p.m., they were already holding talks with representatives of nuns and priests, claiming that the organizers of the procession signified that they would disperse peacefully.

At this point, he said a "breakaway group’’ of around 100 protesters wanted to rush towards Mendiola and tried to go through the Civil Disturbance Management (CDM) barricade already in place.

They were, however, thwarted by CDM policemen, pushing the rallyists to turn towards a street near the San Sebastian College.

The place too was blocked by CDM operatives, but the protesters, Bulaong said, insisted on going through the cordoned area.

At this point, he said, Ortilla made his "judgment call’’ and ordered a fireman from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to douse the onrushing protesters with water.

While the protesters at the front-line, including running priest Fr. Robert Reyes, were being bombarded with water, Supt. Bernardo Diaz tried to locate the leaders of the group to settle the "misunderstanding’’.

Law enforcers and leaders of the protesters admitted that they were taken aback by the whole turn of events.

Prior to the incident, former Governor Oscar Orbos negotiated with police officers to allow him to meet up with Rene Saguisag and other members of their group, as they were still at the other side.

Orbos was allowed to pass through the San Sebastian College gate, to meet up with Senator Jamby Madrigal, former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. and their group. It was at this point, that the dispersal happened.

Bulaong said this was done to prevent the rallyists and CDM policemen from clashing anew, which might lead to a violent encounter.

Although Bulaong insisted that Ortilla simply made a decision based on the information that he had at that time, the MPD chief ordered that the latter should still undergo investigation.

Bulaong also assured that Ortilla will not be assigned as ground commander in the event of another rally, pending the results of the investigation.

He clarified though that Ortilla is not in "floating status’’ but will face any sanctions that the investigating team may recommend.

Palace twits  Pimentel for  ‘glorifying probes’

Malacañang yesterday twitted Senate Minority leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. for glorifying inquiries too much, saying that the lawmaker and his allies have neglected their duty to pass priority legislations.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye yesterday reminded senators that their primary obligation is to enact laws and not to hold investigations into alleged wrongdoings of the government just to discredit the Arroyo administration.

"Senator Pimentel glorifies the Senate probes too much," Bunye said in a statement. "He has forgotten that not a single piece of legislation was introduced or crafted from all the muckraking that he and his allies have initiated against the President."

Bunye said the executive branch would only cooperate with any investigation, which falls on the Senate’s oversight functions, provided that "the senator and his allies show some fairness and good faith."

Malacañang stepped up the verbal attack against the President’s foes in the Senate following lawmakers’ threats to press with investigations into alleged anomalies in the Arroyo government.

Pimentel said the Senate would not be "browbeaten" by the President’s attempts to muzzle it from uncovering the truth behind anomalous government deals. He criticized the President’s latest tirade against the Senate as "the height of arrogance and myopia."

Last Thursday, the President lashed at the Senate for being obsessed with investigations rather than legislations as well as for its continued detention of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales.

Mrs. Arroyo warned that incessant politicking and power grab attempts have derailed economic growth and undermined the country’s reputation abroad. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)