The police-military cordon was caught napping yesterday when a group of 30 or so youths staged a lighting indignation strike over the now infamous presidential food-tripping in the U.S.
A DZMM radio report even said that as lawmen knocked heads with the militants several protesters actually squeezed through all-important Gate 7 and rushed close the Executive Office Building!
This writer’s sources said the security breach resulted in quite a bawling out session of the ground commanders from the Presidential Security Group.
Not since the Marcos era had hostile citizens gone so close to Kalayaan Hall.
Remember how raging protesters in the bygone time were able to commandeer a fire truck and ram Gate 7?
As Filipinos remember martial law’s declaration a generation ago next month, one realizes how quite many of the inequities people raged about during Marcos’s unlamented rule are still much felt today.
Brutality is manifested, and felt, in more than the oppressive actions such as those pictured above.
Popularity: 1% [?]
looks like straight out from marcos’ playbook. the brutality, extravagance, attempts to extend term. could martial law be far behind?
Naaahhh…. the 30-or-so students were not pretending to be anti-GMA (now, THAT!!!! was a Marcos-playbook. Remember Enrile!) And the students got through.
This is just a continuation of anti-GMA — with the great opportunity of Le Cirque — wanting to continue the protests and get media attention.
when i was still in the country, i look at police restraining protesters from coming near Malacanang as a brazen attempt to muzzle freedom of the press.
but when i come to the U.S. i realized that if a group of angry people with placards will converge near the perimeter of the White House they are fair game to the security people. they could be bodily removed or even arrested.
in the country you can converge anywhere you want even paralyzing the traffic of Metro Manila and if dispersal action is made by the police, we chorously cried: “police brutality”.
Exercise of the first amendment (free press, free religion, peaceful assembly)in the U.S.. can be regulated as to time, manner and place. Transporting that to the country, you cannot assemble in a public place from 8:00 am to 8:00 p.m., if doing so will inconvenience the public or make one-day march from Quezon Memorial to Liwasang Bonifacio if you will paralyze the traffic the whole day from the stretch of Commonwealth, Quezon Avenue, Espana and Rotonda Avenue. Therefore public laws limiting expressive activity in accordance with place and time are valid.
Manner: You can engage in any expressive activity in a public place that is devoted for such activity, like Liwasang Bonifacio, Luneta Park, or Quezon Memorial Circle, but the manner of converging thereat by calling all participants from Laguna, Cavite, Bulacan and Novaliches to walk early morning to dusk at the designated place is impermissible exercise of such right.
We Filipinos have the nasty habit of improving on whatever we have learned from other cultures.
To college- and high-school kids reading this blogthread, go to Inquirer and you will see this reported:
Hi perryh,
Am clenching my fist but will see how this plays out…
I’m afraid I have a contrary view on this, Ding. Executive is staffed with important people and who knows what the intent is of people breaching the security barrier. If people do not stop when ordered to stop, the police (in my opinion) are entitled to bang heads, or even shoot, to stop an illegal intrusion.
In the US, a plane flying near the White House will get shot down. A person defending his home against an illegal intruder is legally empowered to use whatever force is necessary to secure himself and his family, including killing the intruder if he believes that intruder represents a physical threat.
The source of the problem. The source. The source.
The source is the intruder, not the police.
I’m sure brutality has been a problem in the past; excessive when not required. But in my opinion, the police are entitled to use maximum force to protect government workers, no matter how much we disagree with the government workers’ decisions, acts or where they eat.
Joe
joe,
when i was a newspaper reporter i have the same view as Ding. after I become a lawyer, I have still the same view as Ding, but this time it was tempered with the doctrine of “present and danger doctrine”. meaning i have an absolute right to express myself in any manner i want it but the state has an inherent right to protect itself against any such expressive activity that has the tendency to forment any unlawful or disorderly conduct.
when i come to the U.S., my concept of “present and danger doctrine”, was further embellished by the “time, place and manner” regulation of speech conduct and further hedged by what it is called “traditional” and “non-traditional” public forum. meaning i can exercise my press freedom if such exercise will not inconvenience the public, and that i can exercise it only in a forum designated as a “traditional” place for such activity like a plaza or a radio station or TV station. thus I cannot go inside Congress and start subjecting these honorable Senators/Congressmen with my speech though i can assure everyone that many would benefit from it, nor can I go to Malacanang ground or the Supreme Court lawn to make a speech, much less can i parade on the street obstructing the free flow of traffic with a bull horn and making my speech.
hay, buhay pinoy… we should try to educate ourselves so we can enjoy what freedom really is.
I agree with you here.
But those who lived through the martial law period have only too vivid memories that tell them to be watchful of actions that mimic the past.
jcc,
Good perspective.
Ding,
Any protest worth it’s salt (wonder where that idiom came from, “worth it’s salt”, heh) would have the designated photographers and designated attorneys standing by during the protest.
Joe
Read this one for tactics used:
Full text is here.
http://www.mongpalatino.motime.com/post/500821
Hi, joe.
Been a while.
You may note the subtext of my post is a warning with the incident as hook.
warning about what?
(i) Students — if your rally-leader says “okay lang… walang mangyayari dito. Sama ka, wala ka namang gagawin, eh.” niloloko ka, atras.
(ii) Le Cirque IS final proof. GMA — talsik diyan.
(iii) What is wrong about Pinas? Was there a follow-up to that picture of an adult kicking a teen-ager on the ground? Was that picture staged, or what? What is the name of the guy in white shirt? Was he actually kicking the teen-ager or did he trip? Was there an investigation? We need the truth… don’t journalists care about the truth anymore?
Dude, if a bunch of morons tried to forcibly enter a gate that you were were given specific orders to secure, what would you do? Roll out a red carpet for them?
I think you’re better off reporting FACTS than interpreting them, Ding.
Reporters like you should best limit themselves to parroting what their eyes pick up instead of presuming to apply a bit of poetic license in the data they collect.
Sablay ka na naman, manong.
Sure, Benigs, sure.
30 obviously crazed “students” trying to stage a “revolution” over a dead issue that is kept propped-up like el cid by the hate-gloria club? 30- is that all? for whatever ulterior motive, this post – another masterpiece of sensationalism – is apparently trying to create a “war” out of a pitifully tiny bit of mob action. if these goons are truly “students”, they have effectively insured their future outside the law. who would ever be comfortable giving legitimate employment to these pathetic individuals, i wonder. what a remarkable “achievement” to put in their resume!
These people love their country. Not like Gloria Arroyo and
her cahoots. They are just exercising their rights to vent
their grievances against an oppressive tyrant. It is right to
right a wrong, when you see it. Not just remain apathetic.
The ends do no justify the means.
These students would best contribute to the country by studying harder and later putting up a business or new marketable idea especially after they they graduate–this is what is lacking in our country,
No wonder the Chinese-Filipinos as well as those with genuine Spanish decent in our country are trumping over the rest of us–THEY SPEND THEIR TIME ‘DOING’ INSTEAD OF ‘COMPLAINING’–same country, same government, but different results for them.
Bumalik ka nga rito, Atty. Ben, para maunawaan mo.
When a regime is out of touch of its people. It will brutalize
its own people. We request those in the military and police. Not
to turn against your own people. Turn against those who are oppressing the people.
toro, those troublemakers are not “the people”. they are lawbreakers and they deserve to be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. if they are really “students” being supported through the labor of their parents, what a terrible waste! stop being irrationally melodramatic, dude.
Ulitin ko ha para sa balana:
“As Filipinos remember martial law’s declaration a generation ago next month, one realizes how quite many of the inequities people raged about during Marcos’s unlamented rule are still much felt today.”
Ito punto.
so, what’s the point in saying that. there were hunger, disease, poverty, crimes, unemployment, bad harvest, natural disasters, and all sorts of human miseries then, as there are now, and will ever be. do you think your publicizing the irrational behavior of a few so-called “students” will change the natural scheme of things?
Basahin mo yung nasa baba, atorni.
Kahit di ikaw si resident coconut, tugma na rin sa iyo ang ‘dedicatement’ ko.
Eto, i-inglisin ko na rin para di ka mahirapan.
Of all the ‘brilliant’ proposals, nay challenges hurled at the wannabees the most important has been that from Benigs, his “platform plez” advocacy.
Pero ikaw atorni, single topic, ipagtanggol, abugaduhin si Little Girl.
Ngayon, kuha mo na boss, amo, panginoon???
kung saan-saan mo dinadala ang usapan. sablay ang mga palusot mo, pare.
Specially dedicated to the resident FV ‘coconut’.
Hindi ba’t kaya dapat malaman, masuri, at maunawaan and mga plataporma ng mga ambisyosong nag-aambisyong sumunod kay Little Girl ay upang mabago ang buhay nating at magpaka-tutoo ang Pinas at mga Pinoy?
Kapag mangyayari ito diba’t pati ang mga nasa Australia na naninilbihan sa mga amu-amuhang puti ay makauuwi na muli sa halip na insultuhin at maliitin ang talino ng mga kapwa Pilipino na kakulay kayumanggi din ang balat at di matangos ang ilong?
A relative of mine recounts one of the demonstrations against Marcos that his UP-Diliman friends invited him to. He went and was enjoying the shouting and all the rah-rah with his barkada until my relative noticed the Marcos security affix bayonets and load with (what my relative thought were) live rounds. There were no casualties reported the next day in the news, which was good. BUT my relative kept saying “… stupid security!!! I’m not going near Malacanang anymore with those stupid security — fixed-bayonets against students.”
—————-
Then things got worse with Marcos martial law.
—————-
It remains standard operating police procedures to arrest demonstrators who had violated certain norms. The arrest, first and foremost, reduces the possibility of harsher clashes between security-personnel and demonstrators-on-testosterone.
That some of the demonstrators were able to slither into Malacanang grounds says that Malacanang security-apparatus is not running on paranoia, which is a good thing.
That there were demonstrators against Le Cirque, steak-and-champagne again shouting “GMA : TALSIK DIYAN!!” : normal.
But the demonstration-leaders were irresponsible to tell the students that they can sit for hours-on-end blocking Malacanang gate. The students got set up — by their own leaders.
Good one UP n. Agree with this.
Ang hihina ang mga ulo ninyo… Those guys got the attention they were looking for. The strategic goal of rallies is communication…
Ever since Mayor Lim indirectly ordered his men to fire at the farmers on Mendiola all protestors have been trying to duplicate that tragedy.
Look at bO.. His delusional method of agitation. His is goal is to learn. He uses a fly paper approach.
In todays world of mass media content is in short supply. Sabong or sex sells. The attractive broadcast news reporters are in essence sabongeras looking to intitiate a sabong.
Rallies are the same. No one ever knows what issue will and can stick. Ask any PR practitioner.
How do those Muslim fanatics recruit their suicide bombers?
The beauty of this democratic space is the right to bring down government itself. That makes democracy the toughest form of government to manage but the least worst of the others.
It is better to allow venting…
J_ag,
Interesting perspective. Your brain is bent. That is a compliment.
Joe
Now for those so called pundits based in the U.S. In some states of the U.S. people are allowed to bring firearms to protest rallies. Even automatic weapons.
Even in sites where the U.S. President is scheduled to speak…
Should we do the same here?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/opinions/anntelnaes/?nid=roll_telnaes
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/19/AR2009081902961.html?hpid%3Dopinionsbox1&sub=AR
All the palace has to do is set up a spot in front of the Palace and allow people to scream and shout at anyone they choose to.
But this government reflects the low self esteem and paranoia of the present incumbent. It plays right into the hands of the militants…
Hold on, I suspect there is confusion about why people are getting arrested.
IF Abe Margallo son were to hold a placard saying Sainthood for Mother Teresa : freedom-of-expression : no arrest.
…. while shirtless : still no arrest : freedom of expression.
…. blocking one of the lanes into Lincoln Tunnel from Manhattan to New Jersey —- arrest.
The arrest is not about freedom-of-expression, though.
================
Even if those 20-some students were agitating to rename EDSA into Corazon Aquino Avenue or to lower the price of Cooking Gas — they still should have been dispersed/ arrested if trespassing or obstructing traffic.
Thanks for the links, J_ag. Cheers
Remembrance of martial law? you must have slept – its always there, from Marcos to Arroyo.
I wouldn’t be as harsh… not yet anyway.
If martial law were really impending (or still present, as joma says), none of us could ever write about dissent. We won’t be able to blog, or even just comment on blogs. Everyone of us is easily traceable, especially with Ping’s network. Your phonecalls, your text, your online activities can easily be tracked if enough resources were actually devoted to bringing you down. All of us who have ever criticized GMA for one reason or another would’ve “disappeared” by now if martial law were on the table. So, enough already with the exaggeration.
I’m just as pissed as the next guy about how the government wastes the taxes I give up, but Icertainly know better than adopt the Ellenville mentality of logic-avoidance-at-all-costs-as-long-as-it-is-anti-Gloria.
Remembrance (souvenir) of Martial Law is police brutality. Martial law is gone, but police brutality stayed. That is all I mean.
Oh, and to be clear, I don’t condone police brutality, and I do speculate that in the heat of the moment, the police didn’t have the grappling skills to prevent the unlawful intrusion the protesters committed. I don’t particularly agree with their punching or kicking, but for the sake of doing their vitally important job (regardless of who the seated chief executive is) of securing a no-go zone, the police and protesters engaging in melee was preferable to a situation where protesters are actually sprayed with bullets.
Hi filo.
In like manner. for the record the post is not in anyway a brief to condone the youths’ action of rushing through Gate 7.
There were negotiations which the police obviously were not in a position to handle.
If Malacanang were not in a siege posture one action could have been for a responsible person from the Palace and talk to the youngsters who are, after all, citizens with grievances.
One personality who comes to mind is presidential spokesman for economic affairs Gary Olivar who was a firebrand activist in his youth.
He was nowhere.
what “siege posture”? when has malacanang ever been without security? no one can just barge menacingly in a place where the president is, be it in a private hotel or public building, without being physically challenged by her security detail. that’s what they are for.
Two approaches are graphically represented here.
The PNP, on the one end, are bound by instruction (they sure should follow orders from superiors) and the Protesters, bound by conscience, on the other (they sure should follow higher moral dictum).
So this tug of war is really bound to happen. Between a military trained policeman and an advocacy trained protester, the latter becomes the victim in a fighting brawl where the policemen think they have the license to inflict light to serious physical injury upon any person protesting or intruding into Malacanang premises.
PNP is always the dirty tricks department that it is, more so under DILG Puno. Or, did it ever occur to us why that police who kicked a protester somewhere to his face must be in plain clothes if he were not possibly what we term as ‘agent-provocateur’?
This is the same underhanded approach by the present dispensation when some persons in plain clothes arrested Prof. Randy David. Remember that controversial executive order?
matagal nang ginagawa ng kapulisan yang brutality na yan…sana nga magkaroon ng training ang mga pulis kung kelan nila gagamitin ang pagka-brusko nila…these students are not endangering the lives of the people(?- tao nga ba sila) inside Malacanang nor the Policemen…they are not armed…though they can be stoned to death…pero masyado yata silang incompetent katulad ng mga amo nila…lalabas silang walang gear…yung iba wala pa uniporme…mas malala pa sila sa mga kantong-siga…dahil alam nila na sila ang may lakas at nasa lugar kaya pwedeng pwede nilang gawin kahit anong gusto nila…mga pakaing baboy, walang ginawa kundi lumamon at di unawain ang trabaho bilang isang propesyonal na pulisya o taga-taguyod ng kapayapaan sa lansangan. mga buseeet!
This ain’t police brutality yet. These protesters were trampling over government property. Not public property. You’d drag a noisy hooligan and throw him over your wall if he were shouting in your garden and banging your eardrums all day long.
After seeing Edsa 3, I think it’s time to call off that “maximum tolerance” bullcrap. And it’s not martial law yet that way.
What ‘insensitivity’ are you talking about chino f? Malacanang is the Palace of the People and being government property, it belongs to the taxpayers, any taxpayer.
Your view does not apply here because occupants of Malacanang, like any other public official earning his bread and butter from government or state subsidy cannot appropriate upon himself exclusive use of the Malacanang complex.
Try to go to the House of the People – it is open to anyone.
Nope, I’d say government property is still private property in a sense, since it belongs to an entity that is the government. Being paid for by the taxpayer does not guarantee entry anytime. Even government has the right to operate in privacy… though that does not necessarily mean lack of transparency.
Besides, assassins can hide among the militant protesters. There’s a need to keep people out.
the policemen or the military personnel…they are the gentlemen in uniform..pero ano itong pinakita nila…nakikipagrambulan sa mga estudyante…as if they are at war…as far as i know, these men in uniform are not only trained in warfare, they were trained too on how to deal with civilians or civilians with sentiments (:D)…napaka lousy pa nila…imagine walang uniporme makikipaghablutan, sipaan, suntukan sa mga estudyante…okay lang sana kung nasa Garrison state tayo (ninoy peram lang ha)…police brutality nga ang tawag dyan…ano ba ang dahilan nila bakit haharap sila sa mga rallyista na walang suot na protective gear at yung iba wala pa uniporme…di ba nila naisip yun…kung may mabato sa kanila, syempre masakit yun (may bukol pa), e di anu pa nga ba, babawi sila…gentleman ba ang tawag dun? dapat ipacify nila at i-calm down in many effective ways kung saan sila trained…kasi nga iba ang intensyon nila, kasi pag nasaktan sila, syempre may dahilan na sila na makapanakit at makapanghuli ng rallyista…o kung mali ako…ang tawag naman sa kanila ay shabby at lousy, sanrekwang mga inutil, walang gear at uniporme…dapat di sila ang ilagay dyan…mga buseet talaga.
Here’s a tangent view:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20090822-221451/GMA-and-her-bodyguards
ty dg…yan ang punto ko…naka-dyaryo na pala hehehe…
My beloved atorni, umuwi ka rine upang makita mo sa iyong sariling mga pata kung ppano pati container vans ginagamit na mistuland pader na ginagwang mala-Bastilles ang Palasyo.
Mag-alia ka ni ng muta na bumubulag sa iyong paninging mala-tuta.
Tara…
Ah pero baka busy ka. May branch ba Le Cirque at Bobby Van’s sa Connecticut? Baka sa PA?