Student heckler decries ‘trumped up’ charges

MANILA, Philippines—The student heckler who disrupted the Independence Day speech of President Benigno Aquino III claimed he was slapped with trumped up charges of purportedly assaulting a police officer.

In a press conference at the House of Representatives on Monday, Pio Emmanuel Mijares claimed he did not resist security as he was being escorted out after he heckled President Aquino in Naga city on June 12.

“The direct assault was questionable because there was no resistance. I gladly followed security which escorted me so there would be no chaos,” Mijares said in Filipino.

He alleged that the additional charge of assault was slapped to extend his detention to 36 hours. He was accused of assault for purportedly damaging the uniform of arresting officer PO1 George Estocado.

Mijares even said there were some beatings and scratches, but he pointed out that he was not hurt.

But he said the police used his slogans to gag him as he was being escorted.

Once in the detention center, Mijares also alleged that he was not allowed to contact his lawyer.

“I was expecting I would not be charged. But they still detained me for 36 hours,” Mijares said.

Mijares, an Ateneo De Naga student, was also slapped with “tumults and other disturbances of public order” and creating “alarm and public scandal.”

Mijares reportedly interrupted Aquino’s speech by shouting “Patalsikin ang Pork Barrel King! Walang pagbabago sa Pilipinas!”
He also shouted for the junking of the Disbursement Acceleration Program, more commonly known as the president’s pork barrel.

Paul Vincent Casihilan, Karapatan Bicol spokesperson, said they would file charges of illegal and arbitrary detention as well as police brutality against the Philippine National Police command in Naga. They would file the raps before the Ombudsman and the Commission on Human Rights.

“We didn’t have an agenda to cause chaos. We were only there to express our basic right,” Mijares said in Filipino.

ACT Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio lauded Mijares as a “role model for the youth.”

“We have a new role model for the youth…We condemn the suppression of freedom of expression on the day of Independence itself,” Tinio said in Filipino.

In a radio interview, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said the administration did not instigate the filing of charges against Mijares.

She added that the raps were filed by the Philippine National Police in Naga city and not the Presidential Security Group.

Originally posted: 3:18 pm | Monday, June 16th, 2014

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