THE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) reminded groups who are planning to stage a rally that only the Freedom Park along Roxas Avenue is the place where they can conduct their demonstration without a permit.
This came after tension arose between various environmental groups and the San Pedro Police Station on Tuesday, April 19.
The "silent protest" was staged by the Sustainable Davao Movement (SDM), composed of various environmental groups in the city, in front of the City Council.
The protesters converged to raise their opposition to the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) incineration facility. It will be constructed in a 10-hectare land in Barangay Biao Escuela.
In a statement forwarded to SunStar Davao, SDM said the San Pedro police "disrupted" their mobilization.
"As the group was about to leave, two newly-arriving police officers snatched our banners and tore our placards," the group said.
"Towards the end, when we were leaving to distribute flyers, the aforementioned two police officers acted with aggression. They would not allow us to leave, and our fellow advocates were being "invited" to the police station, in purported violation of the "no permit, no protest policy" in front of the SP building," SDM added.
SunStar Davao interviewed one of the police who responded in the event and requested anonymity, saying the group failed to present a permit for them to conduct a protest in front.
The tension between the protesters and police lasted for around 10 minutes before they were released and told to conduct their protest at the Freedom Park.
SDM, meanwhile, admitted they were unaware that there is a need to secure a permit for them to conduct rally in the area. However, they said the police's action isn't justifiable.
"The use of force and threats was unnecessary. Moreover, we were unaware of the need to secure a permit and were allowed to conduct their program," the group said.
They added they were able to conduct sit-down protests during the pre-pandemic without experiencing tension in the past.
DCPO spokesperson Maria Teresita Gaspan said on Wednesday, April 20, during the AFP-PNP press conference that the police officers who responded only reminded the protesters that they were not allowed to held their protest in that area.
"Siguro naa lang (I think there were) miscommunication on both parties. Pero (But) on the part sa Davao City Police Office, gipasabot lang sa civil society group na wala man ta mag-bawal na magpadayag sa ilang (we only explained to the civil society group that we are not curtailing their) freedom of expression," Gaspan said.
The police official said only the Freedom Park in Roxas Avenue is the designated area where protesters can do their activity without securing a permit.
Gaspan said they are also not questioning the group's intention in staging a rally in the area.
Councilor Pamela Librado-Morata, who raised her opposition on the WTE project in the city through her privilege speech on Tuesday, told selected members of the media right after the protest that she was also unaware of the group staging a protest in front of the SP Building.
The entire stretch of San Pedro Street, including the SP Building and Davao City Hall, is placed under maximum security zone by the City Government. An area under maximum security zone is an area to which access is controlled through an entry point and limited to authorized, appropriately screened personnel and authorized and properly escorted visitors, and monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week by peace-keeping forces.
Meanwhile, on November 2018, the Davao City Council passed an ordinance prohibiting and penalizing any act that blocks the free flow of traffic along public streets, including rallies.