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Thursday, June 26, 2003
Port guards ‘hurt’ protesters
By Elias O. Baquero
SEVERAL vendors and trisikad drivers were injured when Cebu Port Authority (CPA) police and security guards tried to stop them from moving their protest rally to the CPA compound yesterday morning.
But retired police supt. Renato Mojado, district commander of the Visayas Intelligence and Security Service Corp., denied maltreating the protesters.
He said the protesters forced themselves into the compound, so his men had no choice but to stop them.
Trisikad driver Remigio Javier, though, said Mojado grabbed a stick from a security guard and hit him several times with it.
The protesters also accused the security guards of spraying them with tear gas.
Josephine Negapatan said she passed out after inhaling the tear gas. When she came to, she was suffering from chest and eye pains.
Another vendor, Carlito Amancio, said he suffered temporary blindness.
Also injured during the confrontation were Teresita Cueco, Olivia Saldua, Virginia Layao and Amancio Monglos, all members of the Pier 1 Ambulant Vendors Association Inc.
Dulcisimo Deloso, one of the guards, denied spraying tear gas. He said he was only picking up the tear gas, which had fallen to the ground, when one of the protesters stoned him in the chest.
Edward Ligas, consultant of the vendors and trisikad drivers, said they will file criminal charges against Mojado and his guards, among them Michael Ayupan, Teotimo Zafra and Deloso.
CPA General Manager Mariano Martinez refused to be interviewed, saying he was attending to visitors.
Meanwhile, CPA Deputy General Manager Dennis Villamor said the vendors have no reason to hold a rally because they are not being kicked out from the area designated for them.
But Ligas said the vendors and trisikad drivers were protesting the terminal and perimeter fence projects, which will greatly affect their livelihood.
Ligas also said CPA wants to ban trisikads in the area and replace these with multicabs and shuttle bus.
Villamor said the CPA has to do it to protect passengers and secure cargoes, pointing to an international agreement on ports safety and security.
He said they realized its importance after the bombing at Sasa wharf in Davao City where some 22 people died earlier this year.
He accused trisikad drivers of becoming unreasonable, charging P60 for a 50-meter trip, while the taxi only charges P25 for the same distance.
Villamor also recalled two incidents when a woman was mauled and a man was thrown into the sea for refusing to buy food from vendors.
(June 26, 2003 issue)
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