Protesters lie on the ground after being hit by a police van during a rally against the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) in front of the US embassy in Manila on Wednesday. A Philippine police van rammed and ran over the protesters. (MNS photo)
MANILA, Oct 20 (Mabuhay) — Relieved Senior Supt. Marcelino Pedrozo of the Manila Police District on Thursday defended the police officer seen on video ramming protesters with his vehicle in front of the US Embassy on Wednesday.
Pedrozo said the police driver was being attacked by rallyists and could not see anything as he tried to move the vehicle away from the protesters.
Pedrozo said the police officer, identified as PO3 Franklin Kho, was attempting to save the vehicle after he heard protesters saying they will burn all police vehicles in the area.
“Ang nangyari po diyan, sir, actually hindi naman po talaga siya yung driver. Ang nakita po nila, nung ongoing po ang negotiation namin, sinisira po nila yung mobile cars namin, pinipinturahan at may narinig pa raw po siya na susunugin po yung mobile cars, tinutumba po nila yung mobile cars,” Pedrozo said.
“Dahil gusto po niya i-save yung mobile cars natin, sumakay po siya, tapos hinabol po siya ng mga raliyista, sumakay po siya,” Pedrozo said.
However, Pedrozo said the driver became frantic when the rallyists began to attack him.
“Habang nagda-drive po siya, pinagpapapalo po siya ng mga raliyista, binabasag po yung salamin kaya nakayuko po siya, hindi na raw po niya makita kung ano po yung nangyayari,” Pedrozo said.
“Parang ang nangyari po, nawala po siya, nataranta po siya, hindi na po niya alam kung ano ang gagawin niya. Yun po ang statement niya,” he added.
The driver claimed that he was crouching as he tried to drive the police car away from the area and did not see the rallyists blocking his way.
“Nakita nyo naman po sa video footage talagang binabasag ang salamin niya, pinapalo siya kaya ang response po niya yumuyuko po siya, hindi po niya alam ang gagawin niya. Discretion niya po yan hindi ko po alam kung ano po ang nararamdaman niya,” Pedrozo said.
“Talagang ang intensyon niya is tanggalin yung mobile dahil accountability po niya yung mobile na yon,” he added.
Pedrozo insisted that the policeman, had no intention of hurting the rallyists.
“Wala po kaming intensyon [na manakit], wala po sa aming procedure yan. Ang gusto lang daw po niya yung extricate, tanggalin po yung mobile cars dun sa harap ng embassy. Yun lang po ang naging paliwanag po ng ating driver,” he said.
Pedrozo said when he was in the area where the incident happened, there were no injuries on the part of the rallyists.
“Sa totoo lang naman po nung nandoon kami nung time na yon wala naman po talagang medyo injuries na nangyari talagang nandoon naman po kami na walang injuries, walang nagulungan ng gulong,” he said.
Pedrozo said if the driver intended to hurt rallyists, he would have finished them off. “Yung driver na yan kung may intensyon po silang sagasaan dapat tinuluyan niya po yung ano…,” he said, without finishing this statement.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, former chief of the Philippine National Police, defended the driver, saying, “That was a judgment call made by one policeman behind the wheel of a police van who might have felt threatened by the possibility of being lynched by the protesters, and who impulsively drove the van wherever he could to avoid the dire consequences of his inaction.”
Saying it was unfair to accuse the police of brutality, Lacson said, “It was a personal judgment call of the driver of the van. Maximum tolerance or not, he acted based on his appreciation of the situation prevailing at the time he made that move.”
Pedrozo also said he noticed that the rallyists seemed “well-prepared” to carry out a violent protest action.
“Nakita naman po sa mga footage natin, unang-una pa lang sila na po agad ang sumugod. May plano po talaga silang manggulo, mag-vandalize, manakit ng pulis at magsira at for the first time nakakita ako ng rally na sinira po nila ang mga mobile cars at properties namin,” he said.
“Nagulat din po kami, so parang may plano po talaga, matindi po ang plano nila na talagang meron po silang ibang motibo, in bad faith na nakita po namin,” he added.
Pedrozo said he has been assigned to the MPD for a long time but had not witnessed a protest action as violent as what had happened on Wednesday.
He also said they did not expect the rallyists to attack policemen.
“Talagang nilusob nila kami, binuwag po ang linya, hindi po namin ineexpect sa kanila yon dahil may mga leaders naman po sila. Normally po ang gagawin lang po namin haharangan namin sila tapos makikiusap po sila na makalapit sa embassy, tapos po magho-hold lang po sila ng program,” he said.
“Pero itong nangyari po, talagang nilusob po nila agad ang mga pulis, binuwag po yon tapos vinandalize po nila ang embassy tapos sinaktan po nila ang mga pulis at winasak po ang mobile cars namin,” he added.
As for the policemen who were caught on video hurting the driver of the jeepney that carried rallyists, Pedrozo said these cops are already under investigation.
“Yan po ang iniimbestigahan po natin dahil po beyond na yon sa nangyari. Ang instruction lang po natin is to push them back dahil nandoon po sila mismo sa ano…ang instruction ko po diyan ang wag po tayong bubuwag sa linya po natin,” he said.
“Ang nangyari lang po talaga is very well prepared po ang mga raliyista, well prepared po sila, may dala na po silang bato, may dala po silang pamalo, may dala silang pintura para pinturahan po yung US Embassy, yun lang po ang nakita ko sa kanila, well prepared po sila sa action nila,” he added.
Pedrozo claimed that he did not order a violent dispersal but admitted that he became angry as he was shocked over what happened.
“Kasi po na-shock po talaga ako, nagulat po ako sa nangyari, yung mga pulis po, yung mga babae, sugatan, nawasak na po yung ibang mobile cars,” he said.
On news videos, Pedrozo was heard telling policemen to fight, saying, “Wala man lang kayong hinuli, ang dami-dami niyan… Magkagulo na kung magkagulo, pulis tayo rito, e. Pwede ba tayong patalo sa mga yan? Anong mukhang ihaharap natin sa embassy? Kaya i-disperse mo ‘yan.”
Pedrozo said, “Bilang supervisor ang gusto ko po ma-encourage sila na talagang idepensa po yon, i-maintain po yung peace and order.Syempre bilang supervisor, gusto ko po na maiayos po ang aming hanay na hindi watak-watak dahil ang nangyari nga po talagang nabuwag ng mga raliyista.”
Pedrozo said they are prepared to answer whatever charges that would be filed against them.
“We will answer for any lapses. Talagang sasagutin naman po namin yan pero para po sa Manila Police District ginawa lang po namin kung ano po ang aming tungkulin,” he said.
“Ni wala naman po kaming baril doon, all of us wala po kaming firearms, we’re just depending on our shield at batuta. Ang mga kalaban po namin may mga bato, may mga pamalo,” he added. (MNS)