DILG chief justifies use of sonic device against protesters

The Gabriela Women’s Party used this photograph to show a Philippine National Police vehicle that allegedly carried a Long Range Acoustic Device to attack protesters on Monday. PHOTO/Gabriela Women’s Party

The police’s use of a sonic weapon to disperse protesters during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit is proper and legal, Interior Officer-in-Charge and Undersecretary Catalino Cuy said on Wednesday.

“Kung makikita niyo yung video talagang very aggressive and violent yang crowd na ‘yan,” Cuy said as he stressed on the need to use the long range acoustic device (LRAD) during the series of #BanTrumpPH rallies in Manila.

(If you saw the video, the crowd was very aggressive and violent.)

“Our ground commander used that to prevent protesters from  breaking through the police line,” he added.

Militant groups denounced the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) use of the device, saying that the weapon generated an earsplitting sound against anti-US protesters on Monday.

“The latest anti-people weapon of the PNP must be probed and opposed. Hindi pwedeng paglaruan lang nila ito kada may mobilisasyon para pagtakpan ang galit ng mamamayan. Hindi biro ang epekto nito sa pandinig at kalusugan ng mga nasa pagkilos, at maging sa kapulisan mismo ,” Gabriela Women’s Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said.

(They can’t play with this device each time there’s a protest action. The harmful effect of this instrument to protesters and even police officers is no joke.)

She claimed the patients of the nearby Philippine General Hospital might have also been affected.

At least 56 protesters were injured, four of which were taken to the PGH.

The lawmaker sought a congressional investigation on the incident.