Farmers sue mayor, top cops for damages
Iloilo -- A Civil Case for damages has been filed against three of the city's top officials by five farmers, all members of a militant group. At least two hundred other complainants are reportedly all-set to follow with similar charges and demands being readied.
An offshoot of last Saturday's 'encounter' at the Jaro plaza, the farmer-complainants is headed by Loreto Caman. The respondent-officials - Mayor Jerry Treñas, Chief Superintendent Doroteo Reyes, Police Regional Office 6 Director and Police Precinct 3 Commander, Supt. Kashmir Disomangcop.
The charges stemmed from the mass action staged by Caman's group who marched or attempted to march at least from Jaro District towards the city by the Rotary Amphitheater at the Capitol premises. The protest action was lodged against the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and hit Malacañang's pronouncement of the country under a "National State of Emergency."
The protesters were blocked by PP3 operatives as Supt. Disomangcop tried to reason with the group not to hold a rally for lack of permit. Some 300 protesters converged at the Jaro plaza bearing placards and streamers with anti-government messages. By 10 in the morning, Supt. Disomangcop began his talks with the protesters, explained his position to the group of a "no permit, no rally" policy. The rallyists milled around the area until about 2 p.m. when they finally left in smaller groups and proceeded to the Capitol area.
Lawyer Romeo Gerochi said the rights of the protesters were violated reason why Caman's group decided to pursue the case.
"The fact that they were prevented by the police and asked where they were headed is in itself a clear violation of their basic constitutional rights. We had the incident recorded and we were told that they were just acting upon orders of the Mayor and the Regional Director. It is not important here how much in damage my clients are seeking but the fact that we are filing charges for the violations committed to them," Gerochi said in a The News Today interview.
Asked for comment, Supt. Disomangcop explained that what he did was within the bounds of law. Yes he admitted, he did stopped the protesters but only because they failed to show any permits that would otherwise allow them to stage a rally in the plaza.
Such as Supt. Disomangcop clarified that he had no problem letting the protesters stay to rest.
"They wanted to have a rally and a program probably to kick-off their protest so that is what I did not allow. When they said they will just proceed, I agreed but also to do that in a peaceful manner, in smaller groups and minus the waving of flags and placards," he added while adding that in the four hours that PP3 operatives and the protesters stayed in plaza, there was never an instance that tension was felt.