EN BANC
EN BANC
EN BANC
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Decision 12<br />
G.R. Nos. 171396,<br />
171400<br />
171409, 171424, 171483<br />
171485, 171489<br />
Undeterred by the announcements that rallies and public assemblies<br />
would not be allowed, groups of protesters (members of Kilusang Mayo<br />
Uno [KMU] and National Federation of Labor Unions-Kilusang Mayo Uno<br />
[NAFLU-KMU]), marched from various parts of Metro Manila with the<br />
intention of converging at the EDSA shrine. Those who were already near<br />
the EDSA site were violently dispersed by huge clusters of anti-riot police.<br />
The well-trained policemen used truncheons, big fiber glass shields, water<br />
cannons, and tear gas to stop and break up the marching groups, and scatter<br />
the massed participants. The same police action was used against the<br />
protesters marching forward to Cubao, Quezon City and to the corner of<br />
Santolan Street and EDSA. That same evening, hundreds of riot policemen<br />
broke up an EDSA celebration rally held along Ayala Avenue and Paseo de<br />
Roxas Street in Makati City. 12<br />
According to petitioner Kilusang Mayo Uno, the police cited PP 1017<br />
as the ground for the dispersal of their assemblies.<br />
During the dispersal of the rallyists along EDSA, police arrested<br />
(without warrant) petitioner Randolf S. David, a professor at the University<br />
of the Philippines and newspaper columnist. Also arrested was his<br />
companion, Ronald Llamas, president of party-list Akbayan.<br />
At around 12:20 in the early morning of February 25, 2006, operatives<br />
of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the PNP, on<br />
the basis of PP 1017 and G.O. No. 5, raided the Daily Tribune offices in<br />
Manila. The raiding team confiscated news stories by reporters, documents,<br />
pictures, and mock-ups of the Saturday issue. Policemen from Camp<br />
Crame in Quezon City were stationed inside the editorial and business<br />
offices of the newspaper; while policemen from the Manila Police District<br />
were stationed outside the building. 13<br />
12<br />
Police action in various parts of Metro Manila and the reactions of the huge crowds being<br />
dispersed were broadcast as “breaking news” by the major television stations of this country.<br />
13<br />
Petition in G.R. No. 171400, p. 11.