Metro police chief vows to probe criminal complaints on INC Edsa rally

MANILA, Philippines — The head of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) encouraged aggrieved parties to file with the police any complaints they may have arising from the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) rally on Edsa avenue over the weekend.

Chief of these is the reported mauling of an ABS-CBN cameraman at the Edsa shrine on Friday evening, the first day of the Edsa protests.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, the NCRPO director, Chief Supt. Joel Pagdilao, assured the public the police would investigate the case.

Pagdilao said he had already issued instructions to the Quezon City police to “immediately pursue the complaint” of the cameraman, who had the incident recorded on police blotter.

“I told [the Quezon city police] to get the statements of the complainants so we can file cases,” Pagdilao said, speaking to media at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame,
Quezon City.

Pagdilao said he hoped the statement of the complainant, security camera footage in the area, and videos or photos from the media could help “investigators to identify” those who beat up the cameraman.

Asked if the police would seek help from the religious sect to “turn over” the perpetrators if they were members, Pagdilao said the religious sect’s leaders gave assurance they would “coordinate if there are complaints against their members.”

“We encourage everybody to file cases so this doesn’t happen again,” Pagdilao said.

Meanwhile, when asked why, on Friday, the rally wasn’t dispersed even if it did not have a  permit, Padilao said police had a dialogue with the INC, and the activity organizers said they already filed a request for a rally permit from the local government. “We respected that. We waited for the approval [of the permit], which was issued on Saturday,” Pagdilao said.

On Friday evening, the NCRPO simply placed its personnel on full alert status. The alert level was downgraded on Tuesday morning.

On Monday, the PNP spokesperson, Senior Supt. Wilben Mayor, described the weekend rally as “peaceful,” despite the public outcry against the inconveniences and traffic jams it caused on the major highway. “Let us differentiate [from] other groups [regarding] these sort of situations. We expect them [INC] to be disciplined and peaceful.  That’s the reason why [there was minimal deployment on the ground]. If you just need a pill, you don’t need to get an operation,” Mayor told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Pagdilao, likewise said he was satisfied with the NCRPO’s performance on the protest actions, especially in ensuring “crime prevention” and “security and safety” in the area. He admitted, however, that traffic management was still a “concern.” He said Metro Manila police already met on Monday to discuss how to “improve response” for big rallies, and how to immediately alert the public about them.

Asked regarding criticisms that the police did not act on the protest actions, because police appointees were backed by the Iglesia ni Cristo, Pagdilao said that the police had no other concern but “to
implement peace and order, security and safety, and traffic management.” Prompted by the media, Pagdilao denied he was endorsed by the INC, and likewise denied being a member of the influential religious sect. Pagdilao is a Protestant. SFM