MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto slammed on Monday the police for arresting members of a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) group who participated in a protest in Manila last week, saying that only the “tone-deaf” will commemorate the “Pride Month” with violence and intolerance.
According to Recto, “only in lands ruled by bigotry” that a Pride march and all the ideas it espouses are repressed, citing for examples the Talibans, the Ayatollahs, new czars of Russia, and the Nazis.
“The Philippines should not be in this column,” Recto said in a statement.
“And we should be aghast at the sight of officers of the law arresting marchers who were exercising their constitutional rights in a manner compliant with pandemic protocols, unable to cite what laws were violated,” he added.
The Manila Police District (MPD) arrested last Friday at least 20 members of LGBTQ+ rights groups who held a Pride March in Mendiola, Manila. They were also protesting the anti-terrorism bill and jeepney phaseout while urging the government to conduct free mass testing for COVID-19 and provide non-discriminatory financial aid for those affected by the pandemic.
The protesters reportedly wore face masks and observed physical distancing during the demonstration. Photos and videos of the violent dispersal have gone viral on social media.
However, the police claimed that said the protesters were arrested for illegal assembly and violation of the Republic Act 11332, or the Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases.
But Recto insisted that maximum tolerance was the hallmark of police behavior during peaceful assemblies.
“It appears that this policy has been conquered by the virus of intolerance,” he added.