Apec protest leader held, sued by cops

ILOILO CITY—Police on Tuesday filed criminal complaints against a leader of a national farmers’ group over Sunday’s clash between policemen and protesters at a rally against ongoing meetings of the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) here.

Joel “Jess” Gepaya, chair of the Bukluran ng Progresibong Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (BPMP), is facing charges at the Iloilo City Prosecutor’s Office for direct assault, physical injuries, alarm and scandal, disobedience to lawful order, malicious mischief and violation of a law against illegal assemblies, according to Insp. Shella Mae Acanto-Sangrines, spokesperson of the Apec-Iloilo Site Task Group.

Gepaya, who is detained at the Jaro district police station, was arrested after protesters belonging to BPMP and Alab Katipunan clashed with policemen at the Jaro public plaza.

Asiong Lim, Alab Katipunan secretary general, said the protesters would also file charges against the policemen after at least 30 of them were injured. The protesters’ priority, though, is to secure the release of Gepaya, according to Lim.

Senior Supt. Cornelio Salinas, head of the Site Sub Task Group on Peace and Order for the Apec meetings in Iloilo, said 14 policemen were hurt after protesters attacked the policemen with bamboo poles and sticks. Protesters also hurled rotten eggs and feces at the policemen.

“We exercised maximum tolerance but they responded with violence,” said Salinas.

Lim denied the allegations and said the protesters were just defending themselves against police brutality.

He said the groups were protesting policies and programs espoused by Apec which, he said, were detrimental to farmers, fishermen and other highly vulnerable sectors.

Lim condemned Geyapa’s arrest.

“We were there to be heard [and] not to create havoc. They repeatedly blocked us and pushed us back. We defended ourselves using poles holding our flags and banners,” he said. He said the groups tried to apply for a permit to hold rallies for two weeks but it was allegedly ignored by the city government.

Photojournalist Guijo Dueñas, of Iloilo-based newspaper Panay News and INQUIRER photo correspondent, suffered bruises in the arm after he was held by some of the protesters who accosted him for failing to present a media ID card while he was taking pictures of the rally.

Some of the protesters took his camera when he tried to explain that he left his ID at home.

The protesters returned the camera after Dueñas showed them his ID.

Lim said he apologized to Dueñas but said the protesters were only protecting themselves against intelligence agents.

“We did not know who he was and he could not present a media ID. Isn’t it standard operating procedure for media men to carry and wear IDs?,” he said.

He denied that protesters roughed up Dueñas.

“We told him that he should also understand our situation. We have been subjected to surveillance and many of our leaders and members have been abducted and killed,” he said.

But media groups in Iloilo condemned the incident.

“While we recognize that journalists have the responsibility to carry and wear a press ID during coverage, the lack of such does not justify forcibly restraining the journalist and confiscating equipment,” said a joint statement of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol Press Corps and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines-Iloilo.