Human right advocates maul, detain 2 undercover lawmen

While protesting alleged violations of human rights, militant protesters mauled and detained two alleged undercover agents who were reportedly caught monitoring the movement of demonstrators in Quezon City.

Claiming “citizen’s arrest,” the militants detained for several hours PO1 Reden Malagonio and a certain Espinosa Crisostomo Reyes, who were seen taking pictures of protesters from Bayan Southern Luzon.

Dorris Cuario, a paralegal from human rights group Karapatan, said the two men tried to join the ranks of the demonstrators converging outside Ever Gotesco Mall along Commonwealth Avenue.

“Sumasama sila sa hanay. Noong hinuhuli na sila ng arresting team, bigla silang tumakbo. Ngayon yung mga tao, since gusto nilang tumulong, nagkaroon ng komosyon,” Cuario said.

(The two policemen tried to join the protesters. They also tried to escape. Since the people wanted to help the arresting team to get hold of the alleged intelligence officers, a scuffle ensued.)

She admitted that the men were hurt when militants ganged up on them. Cuario added that the two men were given first-aid for their injuries.

“(Kaya nagkasakitan dahil sa) bugso ng damdamin ng mga mamamayan, lalo na yung mga galing sa kanayunan at kalunsuran na siyang pangunahing biktima ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao,” Cuario said.

(The emotional protesters hurt the policemen because they claim that they are victims of human rights violations.)

In an interview by radio dzMM, Cuario could not cite any law that the two men violated or what crime they committed.

The human rights advocate also could not give any justification for the arrest and mauling of the two men.

The paralegal also admitted that they took the smartphones of the two men and erased the pictures of protests participants in them.

The protesters—demanding respect for human rights—detained the two men in a jeepney for several hours before turning them over to police manning a checkpoint on Commonwealth Avenue.

As of posting time, groups led by Bayan Southern Luzon and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas have gathered for the last State of the Nation Address of President Benigno Aquino III.