Solon sued for allegedly organizing protest vs Trump in Manila

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate delivers a privilege speech at the House of Representatives on Monday, Sept. 21, 2017. (Photo from the Facebook account of Bayan Muna)Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate delivers a privilege speech at the House of Representatives on Monday, Sept. 21, 2017. (Photo from the Facebook account of Bayan Muna)

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate is facing charges for supposedly leading a rally against US President Donald Trump during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in November last year.

Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Anne Geraldine Agar of the Manila Office of City Prosecutor subpoenaed Zarate for allegedly violating Sec. 13 (a) the Public Assembly Act of 1985 (Batas Pambansa 880) and Articles 148 and 151 of the the Revised Penal Code (RPC) – that is, direct assault with physical injury or resistance and disobedience to a person in authority or agents of such person.

Zarate was supposed to face the prosecutor on Monday, Jan. 29, but the subpoena was only served on Tuesday, Jan. 30

The complaint was filed by PO1 Ariel Miranda Ortega, alleging that Zarate and his co-respondents incited protesters to “attack” police officers during the protest along Taft Avenue last Nov. 13, 2017.

Also named in the complaints were other militant leaders – Vencer Crisostomo of Anakbayan, Renato Reyes of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), Teddy Casiño of Bayan Muna, and Einstein Recedes of Student Christian Movement (SCM), who is referred to as spokesperson of Anakbayan in the document

“Sila po ang nag-uutos at nag-uudyok sa mga raliyista na lusubin ang police line,” Ortega said.

[They were the ones who urged the protesters to attack the police line.]

READ: Dozens hurt in clash between cops, protesters during anti-Trump rally

Ortega, a member of the Asean crowd dispersal management team, was one of the police officers hurt during violent protest.

“Dahil sa ginawang paglusob ng mga raliyista sa amin, at ginawa nilang pamamalo, ako ay nagtamo ng sugat sa braso, na may hiwa at pasa, at nawalan ng malay,” Ortega said in his affidavit.

[Because of protesters attacked us and hit us, I got wounded in the arms, with cuts and bruises, and I lost consciousness.]

Ortega said that he and the other members of the team exercised maximum tolerance and did not fight back against the demonstrators who wanted to go near the United States Embassy.

Ortega said he did not know the names of the activists who attacked him. But he said he was sure that they were members of the groups led by the militant leaders.

He explained that he only knew of the leaders because he would “always see them on television.”

Zarate called the complaint as nothing but a “calibrated harassment against members of the Left.”

“Together with my co-accused, I will face these cases knowing that we did nothing wrong; we’re just exercising our freedom of expression and right to assembly,” Zarate said in a statement. /atm