A UNIVERSITY of the Philippines Cebu professor facing possible administrative charges for the alleged destruction of a boom barrier of Camp Sergio Osmeña is pointing at the latter for the violence that erupted during a rally on Feb. 25.
Dr. Phoebe Zoe Sanchez, a public sociologist and professor of UP Cebu, is set to face administrative charges from the Police Regional Office 7 (PRO 7) for allegedly destroying a government property.
Sanchez is one of the 10 demonstrators that PRO 7 Director Senior Supt. Debold Sinas is planning to sue following the altercation between officers and protesters on Monday's commemoration of the 33rd anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution.
The demonstrators, who were members of cause-oriented groups Bayan, Karapatan and Makabayan, allegedly tried to block vehicles leaving the camp, pulled down streamers and damaged the camp’s boom barrier.
But Sanchez said it was the other way around. She said it was not their fault but the officers themselves. According to her, the gate was broken from inside because the officers also pushed the gate in retaliation to some protestors banging at the gate.
"Gi toktok sa mga tawo ang gate, unya gilampag ra ang gate. Unya, naa sad miy video nga (The people knocked on the gate, and banged it. And we also have a video).. actually, the bar that they said was destroyed was interior to the gate. Wala na siya sa gawas. So dili kami ang nagkupot ana (It's not outside, so it was not us holding it)," she said.
Sanchez, who is also the chairperson of human rights group Karapatan Central Visayas, said she was the one who negotiated with police to allow them to push through with the rally yet to no avail.
The commotion started when the PRO 7 played music while the demonstrators were staging a program outside the camp. Voltes V music of the famed Japanese anime television series of the '70s was played loudly, according to demonstrators.
"I negotiated. 'Sir, inyo ning (its your) function nga maminaw mo namo (to listen to us). One hour lang, one hour lang. Just tolerate us kay inyo ang (because it is your) function for tolerance. Niadto ko sa laing pulis (I went to another police), 'Sir, one hour lang.' Nag sige gyud kog hangyo. (Sir, just one hour, I repeatedly asked) Wala jud ko nisyagit, ang pulis in front of me nag sigeg syagit (I didn't shout, it was the police in front of me who kept on shouting)," she recalled.
Sanchez even claims the officers violated a constitutional right and even protocols in the Police Operational Procedures Manual.
"Duna jud sila silay (They have) administrative violations...katong mga pulis (those police). Only, they want to highlight...ang ilang gi capitalize is katong knocking of the door and the pushing of the door to make it appear that we are the ones criminally liable when they are also administratively responsible for culpable violation of the Constitution and the police operational procedure manual."
READ:PRO 7 to press charges vs 10 Edsa protesters
She said they just wanted to air their concerns regarding the recent string of sketchy police operations and to voice out the importance of democracy since it was the 33rd anniversary of the Edsa. Unforfunately, she said, it did not happen that way.
"Ganahan ra sad mi nga maminaw sila (We wanted them to listen) because it is an exercise of democratic assemblies...ingon ana ba. They don't want us to speak kaya nga nilagyan kami ng malaki at malakas na (that is why they set up a huge and loud) 'Voltes 5' music because they don't want us to discuss to the public and for the media to capture all the things they have done," she said.
She said she is ready to face the administrative complaint the PRO 7 is planning to file against her at the Ombudsman. She said activist groups will also file cases against the police for alleged violation of police protocols and the constitution.
"Let it come kay kami, andam man sad mi mu (we are also ready to) file ug (a) complaint against them. Naa miy public assembly but wala nasay exercise of public assembly (There is [right] to public assembly but there is no longer an exercise of public assembly). I'll be ready to face them in court man sad with the pictures and videos we took," she said. (Von Daniel R. Plasencia and Jayvee A. Gulfan, USC-Interns)