Privilege Speech of Kabataan Representative Raymond “Mong” Palatino on the violent dispersal of student protesters
Delivered August 26, 2009

Madame Speaker, distinguished Colleagues, I rise on a matter of personal and collective privilege to speak about the violent dispersal of a peaceful student protest in front of Malacanang Palace last week.

Recent newspaper headlines tell of the present administration’s callousness and gluttony. While the entire nation is plagued by hunger and poverty, President Gloria Arroyo and her allies were enjoying lavish meals at first-class restaurants in New York and Washington. While many Filipinos were mourning the death of former President Cory Aquino, Arroyo and her entourage were in the mood for celebration. While many had tuyo and asin for dinner, Arroyo and company feasted on fine wines and caviars.

Adding insult to injury, instead of explaining these obvious excesses, Malacanang instead fed the public with lies, alibis and ridiculous justifications. Apologists and scapegoats for the administration alternate their statements from being defensive to outright offensiveness in the excuses they dish out.

Madame Speaker, distinguished colleagues, habang nagpapatangay sa agos ng kayamanan at karangyaan ang marami sa mga namumuno, ang karamiha’y nalulunod sa daluyong ng kakapusan at kawalan.

Last August 19, exactly a week from today, around 200 members of youth and student groups held a protest rally in front of Gate 7 of Malacañang Palace. According to rally organizers, such behavior of the President and her entourage is a reflection of the President’s insensitivity to the hunger and poverty experienced by most Filipinos today, and raises questions on the necessity and transparency of the President’s trips abroad.

At around 11 AM, violence erupted like a chain of convulsions. Members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) swiftly and violently attacked and dispersed the youth protesters marching from San Sebastian College towards Gate 7, arbitrarily arresting 20 and injuring 17 students from Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of the Philippines-Diliman and some other schools.

Based on the videos and photos of various news networks, members of the PSG and the Manila Police District went overboard. A news footage from GMA Network’s 24 Oras and Saksi showed that some members of the dispersal unit used excessive force by punching and kicking the protesters and bodily dragging them over the asphalt even after they were arrested. A photo shows members of the PSG kicking a protester in the face even after he was subdued, while another photo shows a protester being lifted and dragged by her hair by a member of the PSG.

News footage and photos also showed that some members of the dispersal unit were heavily armed with high-powered guns, while some were even in their shorts and plainclothes. Upon the PSG and police’s bidding, pati mga Pulis OYSTER sumama sa pangangaladkad sa mga kabataan! These rabid representatives of authority, Madame Speaker, distinguished colleagues, according to witnesses and paralegal teams present during the dispersal, also did not have their nameplates on. These, undeniably, are clear violations of well-established protocols of engagement.

Maliwanag pa sa sikat ng araw: State forces fought the unarmed. And they did so in overkill.

The PSG also held the arrested students for almost an hour inside the Gate 7 premises and refused entry to paralegals who wanted to check on the well-being of the students. Three female students were brought to an unidentified safe house full of military men before they were eventually brought to the Hospital ng Maynila to meet up with the other arrested youth for medico-legal check-up. They were then transported to the Manila Police District Headquarters where they were illegally detained.

Notwithstanding that the grounds where the rally was held has been declared a “no rally zone” by the President when she imposed the State of National Emergency in 2006, the violent dispersal and arbitrary arrests of students committed by the PSG and the police were beyond justification as the students were not employing any violent means in their staging of the protest.

The right to peaceably assemble is stated in the 1987 Constitution: “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or of the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.” But the spate of violent events that happened on that day showed how state forces brazenly disregard their own laws.

Madame Speaker, distinguished colleagues, I condemn in the strongest terms the violations of human rights committed by the PSG and the PNP.

The grievances articulated by the students who held placards bearing the calls “PGMA: Most Lavish, Most Hated President” and “Budget sa Serbisyo, Hindi sa Luho” were perfectly sensible and completely legitimate. The rallyists were demanding that Arroyo and some members of this institution be held accountable of excessive and unnecessary spending. Karapatan nila iyon, Madame Speaker, distinguished colleagues, as enshrined by the Bill of Rights.

The state’s response to the 200 youth protesters has once again revealed state fascism’s angry face. Authorities are now resorting to excessive force and violence to quell righteous indignation and protest over the administration’s gluttony amidst widespread crisis and poverty.

The police must review its rules of engagement. The police are allowed to employ the least force as necessary to repel any real danger. Kailan pa naging banta sa seguridad ang mga estudyanteng ang tanging dala lamang ay ang kanilang mga plakard?

It is high time that we review and evaluate how authorities have been implementing Batas Pambansa 880, especially since this has not been the first time that police and anti-riot forces used the law to justify violent dispersals, illegal arrests and unlawful detention. We must investigate how the police have been implementing the BP 880.

Madame Speaker, distinguished colleagues, hindi ba’t lohikal lamang na sa Malacanang magtungo ang mga estudyanteng nais magpahayag ng disgusto sa pamahalaan? Kung may reklamo tayo sa isang panukalang batas sa Senado, sa Senado tayo magproprotesta. Kung may nakahaing anti-mamamayang resolusyon sa Kongreso tulad ng House Resolution 1109, sa harap ng Kongreso tayo magtitipon. Ang isyung bitbit ng mga estudyante ay ang maluhong biyahe ni Arroyo sa gitna ng krisis pang-ekonomiya. Ang pangunahing sangkot ay ang Pangulo ng bansa. Kung kaya’t doon tayo sa Palasyo magrereklamo.

Sa US, halimbawa, na siyang tinitingila pa naman mismo ng Pangulo, hinahayaan ang mga mamamayan na magdaos ng protesta sa tapat ng White House.

Sino ba ang nagmamay-ari sa Malacanang? Bakit off limits sa mamamayan ang tahanan ng kanilang pinuno? Bakit hindi puwedeng katukin ng mamamayan ang pinakamataas na opisina ng bansa upang iparating ang kanilang mga hinaing? Kakatwa ngunit mas higit na nakalulungkot na sa beinte pesos na lamang natin nasisilayan ang Palasyo.

Isa pa, Madame Speaker, distinguished colleagues, iginigiit ng mga awtoridad na sa freedom parks lamang daw maaaring magdaos ng mga protesta. Ngunit wala namang freedom park na malapit sa Malacanang. Ang Mendiola ay hindi naman Malacanang. Kailangang irespeto ang karapatan ng mamamayang magprotesta sa harap ng palasyo.

Earlier this day, the victims of the violent dispersal filed a complaint at the Commission on Human Rights to investigate the August 19 incident. Nararapat lamang na umaksyon din ang Kongreso hinggil sa kasong ito at maglunsad ng imbestigasyon upang higit pang maging malinaw ang mga pamantayan sa pagdaraos ng mga pampublikong protesta at upang papanagutin ang mga lumabag sa karapatang pantao ng mga estudyante.

Moreover, the members of the PSG and the Manila Police District involved in the violent dispersal and arbitrary arrests should be subjected to administrative sanctions so as to ensure that similar incidents of violence against protesters will not take place again. Kabataan Partylist and other youth and student groups will file administrative and criminal charges against the PSG, MPD and other authorities involved.

The narrative of the Filipino people is set on a landscape strewn with stories of inequity, of injustice, and consequently, of dissent. In the face of atrocity and malevolence, the Filipino is not subservient. He persists. And, in various modes of engagement, he struggles.

The Filipino youth is familiar with this story. In fact, during turbulent times in history, it was the Filipino youth that created stories of resistance. By confronting the challenges of their age, the youth becomes catalysts of change.

Today is a time of discontent, when many of our leaders seem preoccupied with advancing their own vested interests rather than upholding those of the majority. It is a time when those who hold positions of power display acts of greed and insensitivity amid widespread poverty and despair.

And in the face of blatant disregard of the people’s basic rights, the only recourse is to express disgust and protest point blank.

Thank you Madame Speaker, distinguished colleagues. ###