The Philippine National Police (PNP) led by Director-General Arturo Lomibao is determined to impose the "no permit, no rally" policy of the government amid criticisms and legal challenges hurled by several sectors following the violent dispersal operation of an alleged religious mass action near Mendiola Street in Manila last Friday night.

Chief Supt. Leopoldo Bataoil, PNP spokesman, said the PNP welcomes the filing of a petition before the Supreme Court by members of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) who questioned the legality of the implementation of Batas Pam-bansa 880 which prohibits the holding of mass actions without securing the necessary permits from local government authorities.

Among those named respondents in the petition filed by FLAG were PNP chief Lomibao, PNP National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Vidal Querol and Manila Police District (MPD) director Chief Supt. Pedro Bulaong.

The PNP was criticized after police officials ordered Friday’s dispersal operations wherein water cannons were used against a group of rallyists who claimed they were holding a religious gathering.

Among those dispersed by MPD Civil Disturbance Management Teams with the use of water cannons were former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, former Executive Secretary Oscar Orbos, Sen. Jamby Madrigal, Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, and "running priest" Fr. Robert Reyes.

"The PNP is just an implementor of the law. And for as long as that law exists, the PNP is duty bound to enforce it," Bataoil said.

"What is important is that in the implementation of such law, all PNP units are under orders by PNP Chief Director General Lomibao to uphold human rights and strictly follow the police operational procedure or the rules of engagement," he added.

While the rallyists claimed that they were holding a religious gathering and were proceeding to Mendiola to hear mass at the San Beda Church, policemen claimed that some of them were chanting anti-Arroyo statements.

Some of the rallyists, on the other hand, carried an image of Mother Mary and prayed the rosary while marching toward Mendiola.

"We are aware of the criticisms and we are doing something about it as part of our transformation program, particularly judgement calls on the ground by our field officers," Bataoil said.

The rallyists who were dispersed had failed to obtain a permit from the Manila city government for the march to San Beda.

Supt. Florencio Ortilla, who was deputy ground commander, assumed responsibility for the dispersal operations conducted by Manila policemen.

While the PNP is always fine-tuning its doctrine development and internal affairs’ disciplinary measures to address deviations from police operations, "the PNP must not flinch in its law enforcement," he said.

"Nobody is above the law," he said.

Respect gov’t policies, Malacañang tells groups of demonstrators

By FERDIE J. MAGLALANG

Malacañang appealed yesterday to demonstrators to respect the government’s "no-permit-no-rally" and calibrated preemptive response (CPR) policies even as it assured them that their constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and free speech will be protected.

Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio made the appeal to avert a repeat of last Friday’s dispersal of demonstrators composed of religious and opposition leaders who were hit with water cannons when they strayed away from the designated rally sites.

"The Friday incident could have been easily avoided. There are known and explicit rules to be observed by demonstrators even as their right to free expression and redress of grievances continues to be guaranteed and protected by the government," he said.

According to Claudio, the Arroyo government is not exactly "happy" about what happened to the demonstrators, including well known personalities, who were repelled with water cannons by the anti-riot police officers.

"It was a sad and unfortunate occurrence, but it would be most unfair to blame the government and police authorities. I’m sure inflicting physical harm on legitimate protesters and dissenters is the last thing the authorities will want to do," he said.

In an interview, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the demonstrators should realize that they do not have a permit to rally. He noted that during the "religious procession," some marchers displayed anti-government placards and banners.

"While we attend to them, maximum tolerance has to graduate to something else, that is the calibrated preemptive response. So it depends on the intensity of the rally. So reminder to the rallies, live up with permit," he said.

Ermita urged protest rally organizers, notably the opposition leaders, to be responsible by not fueling growing public outrage against the government, otherwise law authorities will have no recourse but to strictly enforce the law.

He said protest rally organizers should learn how to police their own ranks and prevent possible infiltration of public agitators.

For the government to honor the protesters’ constitutionally-guaranteed rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of speech, demonstrators should use duly-designated sites for protest rallies or bring their case before the proper forum, Claudio said.

"There are many other areas they can use without violating the rights of other citizens or provoking authorities whose principal responsibility is to preserve the law and order and protect the safety and freedoms of other people," he said.

"We hope and pray that radical elements do not take advantage of that incident as a justification to further challenge, test, provoke or taunt our law enforcers in the proper handling of rallies and other forms of protest," he said.

While allowing rallies in Plaza Miranda, the government has banned demonstrations in Mendiola, a stone’s throw away from Malacañang Palace, to "avoid a repeat of the bloody "Mendiola Massacre" which killed 17 farmers 18 years ago.

Political strife can’t feed people, TUCP says

By RAUL V. GONZALES

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) urged both the administration and the opposition to momentarily stand down and act on urgent social issues.

The TUCP said the endless political strife in the country has sidelined more urgent tasks.

"People’s concerns on economy, rising unemployment and underemployment, the oil crisis, increasing costs of food, peace and order, threat of terrorism, and many more have taken the backseat because of too much negative politics. All we hear are accusations, mudslinging, unending congressional investigations, conspiracy theories, and the like. These things cannot feed the people," the TUCP said.

The group said more and more people are being pushed to poverty, pointing out that there are more than four million people without jobs – a figure which increases annually by as much as 600,000.

"Wages also remain inadequate to respond to rising cost of living, which is continuously pressed upwards by hikes in prices of petroleum products and utility costs. Unless the government gets back to its business of addressing gut issues, more people are to suffer," the TUCP said.

The TUCP also expressed alarm that companies are closing shop while investments in the country are stagnating because of the political crisis.

"All these political intramurals have distracted the government — the Executive and Congress, from their business of nation-building. We call on both the administration and the opposition that there is a universe of things to do aside from trying to outwit each other," the TUCP said.

"We remind them that outside of their little kingdoms, there are over 85 million people depending on government to make life easier for them," the group said.

It warned that workers are getting more disenchanted with the kind of politics that political leaders are displaying, warning that these workers may exact their revenge on political personalities in the 2006 elections.

The TUCP also lamented that some important sectors of society — including influential business groups and national figures — have contributed to the negative political atmosphere by focusing too much on personal agenda rather than the interests of the people.

It said that today’s situation has brought the country to a point where no single sector has the right to claim righteousness.

"Everybody claims to represent the truth. But no single sector nor personality has the monopoly of what is good and right for the country. Everyone is suspect. No one has come forward to present an alternative agenda that will emancipate Filipinos from not only economic but moral bankruptcy," the TUCP said.

"We appeal to all the national leaders, political parties, national figures, the Church, the administration and the opposition, the senators, the members of the House, even retired military officials. Let us give this nation a chance to grow, even for only one year," the group said.