「日刊まにら新聞」ウェブ

Eight officers, including the commander of the dispersal operation where a police jeep was used to ram down protesters in front of the US Embassy, and 41 policemen were relieved by the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday.

In a statement, a “sad and angry” PNP Director General Ronald Dela Rosa expressed outrage when he saw the video where one of their vehicles plowed through several demonstrators, leaving scores injured on Wednesday.

"I have seen the video. I'm sad and angry. I saw people got hurt. I don't want to see Filipinos getting hurt," Dela Rosa said. "But I cannot let emotions get the best of me. As Chief of the PNP, I have a duty and moral obligation to look into this squarely, and deal with it swiftly and decisively."

Thirty-five police personnel and 22 protesters were injured. Twenty-one demonstrators were arrested but were later released the same day.

He said President Rodrigo Duterte was briefed. "He (Duterte) stressed on the obligations of our police to serve and protect the people. But as he said, we cannot point fingers right away without clear investigation," said Dela Rosa.

Among those officers relieved is Senior Superintendent Marcelino Pedrozo, deputy director for operations of the Manila Police District, who was caught on video allegedly berating his troops for not arresting a single militant and egging them to fight back.

In the video, Pedrozo said:”Are we going to allow ourselves to be defeated by these people... You should fight. You are policemen but you are not fighting." .

Director Benjamin Magalong, deputy PNP chief for police operations, said Police Officer 3 Franklin Kho, the driver of the vehicle which moved back and forth as protesters swarmed his jeep, said: “ We have clearly seen that there is not enough reason for the driver to do that." .

The other relieved officers are Superintendent Albert Barot, the ground commander and head of the Ermita police station, Chief Inspector Dionelle Brannon, commander of the Pedro Gil police community precinct, Chief Inspector Elmer Oseo, deputy commander of the Ermita Police station, Chief Inspector Roberto Marinda, company commander of the augmentation, Chief Inspector Roberto Mangune, company commander of the US Embassy Detail, Chief Inspector Joebie Astucia, chief operations officer of Ermita Police Station and Senior Inspector Edgardo Orongan, chief operations head of the District Public Safety Battalion.

All were transferred to the National Capital Region Police Office in Taguig City where they were placed under restrictive custody.

41 policemen involved in the dispersal in front of the US Embassy gates were also placed under restrictive custody at the Manila police headquarters along United Nations Avenue.

Although Magalong said it is too early, he said has seen some violation of police operational procedures.

Among the officials Magalong criticized was Pedrozo, whose instructions apparently changed the mood of his personnel.

"Those kinds of statements should not have been done by a senior officer because he will influence the mindset of the police force. We have to strictly follow the policy on maximum tolerance," Magalong stressed.

Magalong chided several anti-riot policemen who attacked the driver of a jeepney rented by demonstrators. The driver, a male, was seen in a video being assisted by a police officer.

"There is also not enough reason for them to hit a protester who was just driving a vehicle," Magalong stressed.

Senior Superintendent Joel Coronel, Manila Police District director, said the protesters which numbered about 400 to 500, held a rally without a permit

"Let's all bear in mind that first, the protest action held by the militants has no legal permit. It's illegal," Coronel said in the same briefing.

Coronel said they exhausted all means for peaceful withdrawal of demonstrators but the protesters apparently wanted violence to erupt.

There were unprovoked actions by militants, according to Coronel, which include assaulting, throwing paint and other debris and spray painting the walls and perimeters of the US embassy. Emmanuel Tupas/DMS