Militants demonstrate at Manila petroleum depot

MANILA, Philippines – Some 30 activists held a lightning rally at the Pandacan oil depot in Manila Thursday morning, defacing the logo of one of the “Big 3” oil companies with paint as they demanded a rollback in the prices of petroleum products and the scrapping of the oil deregulation law.

Members of the League of Filipino Students and Anakbayan gathered at around 10:30 a.m. along the Jesus Extension side of the depot and threw black, blue and red paintballs at a Petron Corp. logo at the company’s canteen.

The commander of the Manila Police District’s Pandacan station 10, Superintendent Remigio Sedanto, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that his men did not have to disperse the rally participants, who voluntarily left after a heavy downpour cut short their program to half an hour.

The LFS and Anakbayan members distributed fliers inviting the public, particularly public utility vehicle drivers, to take part in Monday’s scheduled transport strike before they dispersed.

Sedanto told the Inquirer that Petron planned to lodge a complaint of malicious mischief against the organizers of the rally for defacing its logo.

“They [activists] assured me that the paint they used is water-based when I informed them that they may be charged criminally,” Sedanto said.