Violent dispersal mars anti-Martial Law rally in Iloilo

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Hundreds of anti-riot policemen armed with truncheons and shields dispersed a protest rally here Monday marking the 43rd anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law.

The militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in Panay decried the dispersal of about 150 protesters along Bonifacio Drive near the Iloilo provincial capitol.

No one was injured or arrested but organizers of the protest rally said many protesters including women and elderly were shocked by the police action.

“Martial Law is still very much here. They kept on shoving us with their shields and continued to run after us even if where already inside the grounds of the capitol,” said Hope Hervilla, Bayan-Panay chair.

But the Philippine National Police said the protesters were dispersed because they had no permit to hold their protest along the main streets of the city.

Inspector Shella Mae Acanto-Sangrines, spokesperson of the Site Task Group Apec Iloilo, said the protesters were dispersed to “maintain order” and to prevent the disruption of traffic.

“The (police) contingents just acted in accordance with the law. No one was hurt and most importantly, they observed maximum tolerance,” Sangrines said in a text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Security measures have been heightened in the city due the holding of meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation starting Monday.

Hervilla said the holding of protest actions every Sept. 21 has been a regular activity for human rights activists and militant organizations “as a reminder of the massive human rights violations and other horrors” of Martial Law under the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

“It turns out that we don’t need any further reminder because of the unprovoked action shown by policemen. In the name of Apec, they are trampling on the basic rights of people that we have fought so hard to regain during Martial Law,” she said.

She said they had just assembled at the grounds of the capitol and were planning to march along the main streets of the city before dispersing at the assembly area when they were blocked by the policemen.