Rare cops-protesters encounter: Goodies instead of tear gas, batons at Bantayog

Quezon City police officers manning the Bantayog ng mga Bayani have prepared and given away small packs containing face masks, candies, and jelly on Thursday, June 30, 2022, expecting children to be at the event attended by martial law victims and their relatives. INQUIRER.net/Tetch Torres-Tupas

MANILA, Philippines — Instead of “dressing up” for crowd control amid expected protest rallies during the oath-taking of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday, Quezon City police opted to carry bags of goodies.

Inside the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, martial law survivors and relatives of those who died during the so-called darkest chapter of Philippine history took their oath to continue fighting historical revisionism.

Outside, police officers clad in their regular uniforms, discharging one of their usual activities of reminding people about the proper wearing of face masks amid the pandemic.

READ: Martial law victims to Marcos Jr.: Don’t block Freedom Memorial Museum construction

“Kuya, pipituhan kita hindi maayos ang face mask mo,” Kamuning Station Commander Elizabeth Jasmin said to a pedicab driver, who later received a small pack containing face masks, candies, and jelly.

Quezon City police officers manning the Bantayog ng mga Bayani have prepared and given away small packs containing face masks, candies, and jelly on Thursday, June 30, 2022, expecting children to be at the event attended by martial law victims and their relatives. INQUIRER.net/Tetch Torres-Tupas

Jasmin said they prepared the small packs expecting that there would be children going to the Bantayog ng mga Bayani.

“Akala namin may mga bata din ngayon kaya nag-prepare kami ng small token sa kanila [We thought there will be children again today that is why we prepared a small token for them],” she said adding that she also wants to make the event an opportunity to show there is no reason to fear police officers.

Since there were no children around, they distributed the packs to passersby.

Quezon City police officers manning the Bantayog ng mga Bayani have prepared and given away small packs containing face masks, candies, and jelly on Thursday, June 30, 2022, expecting children to be at the event attended by martial law victims and their relatives. INQUIRER.net/Tetch Torres-Tupas

KGA