Militants on ‘mobbing’ 2 cops: ‘We did nothing wrong’
Militant groups on Monday maintained that there were no lapses on their part when they ”mobbed” and detained two policemen suspected to be intelligence officers.
In a press conference called shortly after protesters burned an effigy of President Benigno Aquino III depicted as a monster, Karapatan Southern Luzon Secretary General and paralegal Dorris Cuario said that it is the government that had lapses in respecting the human rights of activists.
“Hindi namin sasabihin na may lapses kami, ang may lapses ay ang gobyerno. Kung talagang mahusay sila…ilayo nila (ang mga pulis) 50 meters away (mula sa mga nagpoprotesta),” Cuario said in an interview with INQUIRER.net.
(We can’t say that we had lapses because it is the government that committed lapses. If they really mean well, the police should stay at least 50 meters away from the protesters.)
Cuario claimed that the police officers named Police Officer 1 Reden Malagonio and a certain “Espina Crisostomo Reyes” allegedly took photos of protestors, violated the Geneva Convention on international human rights.
Chief Inspector Rodelio Marcelo identified the policemen who were mauled as a certain Malagonio and Chief Inspector Antonio Ananayao Jr.
“Hindi namin sasabihin na kami ay mali at paninindigan namin bilang human rights (organization) na hindi kami nagkamali kung ano ang nangyari sa kanila,” she added.
(We will not admit we are wrong and we will maintain that as a human rights organization that we did nothing wrong.)
She also clarified that the scuffle between militants and the two policemen started because the lawmen refused to give their identification and tried to escape.
“We only obtained their identification and we did not hurt them. This only proves that the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines continue their harassment against activists,” Cuario said.
The police officers were detained in a jeepney by militants.
