Capitol execs, employees commemorate Capitol siege anniversary
With his voice cracking and at times teary-eyed, Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas Sr., yesterday led hundreds of employees of the Iloilo provincial capitol in commemorating the first anniversary of the controversial police assault on the building.
"Never Again!" Tupas repeatedly said in a speech during a program that followed a Mass at the lobby of the six-story provincial capitol.
Tupas and his family joined the employees in watching a 15-minute video presentation of a compilation of pictures and video clips of the January 17, 2006 assault.
This included photos and video clips of around 200 policemen from the elite Regional Mobile Group storming the capitol to implement a dismissal order issued by the Ombudsman against Tupas and then provincial board members Domingo Oso and Cecilia Capadosa for graft charges related to the allegedly irregular disbursement of funds.
Employees jeered as they saw again scenes of policemen smashing glass doors and destroying padlocked iron gates in an attempt to arrest Tupas on graft charges and seize control of the seat of the provincial government.
The governor who was watching the video with his family repeatedly shook his head as he saw scenes of heavily armed men warding off employees and pointing guns at his children.
"It is still fresh for me, like it happened just yesterday," the governor's eldest son, lloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., said during the program.
The governor, wearing the same maroon colored shirt he wore during the assault last year, said the lessons of the incident should not be forgotten.
"What is important is that we should stand up for our rights and principles," he said as he thanked the employees and his supporters who stood by him.
Tupas said he never entertained the thought of surrendering even when the assault team was just outside his office at the third story of the building.
The assault ended just as policemen were about to enter the governor's office after the Court of Appeals in Cebu City issued a 60-day temporary restraining order against Tupas' dismissal.
The appellate court later issued a permanent injunction against the implementation of the dismissal order, which the Supreme Court subsequently affirmed.
The assault was widely criticized for excessive use force especially the pointing of guns at terrified employees and other civilians. Some civilians, including journalists, were injured in the attack.
The younger Tupas repeatedly thanked journalists who covered the assault. "If not for them, the people could not have known how power was abused and how our rights were violated here."
Pictures of the assault and news clippings were exhibited at the lobby. The iron mallet used by the assault team in breaking the glass doors at the back entrance of the building was also shown.
A marker will be placed at the broken glass doors to highlight the incident, said provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada.
In an earlier interview, the governor had also called on the Ombudsman and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to release the results of separate investigations by the agencies on the event.
Tupas urged the Ombudsman and CHR on Wednesday to release the results of their respective probes on the January 17, 2007 assault, saying none of those responsible for the assault have been charged and held liable for violations of human rights.
The CHR conducted an investigation and sought the testimonies of witnesses to determine whether members of the assault team violated the rights of those at the capitol. The Ombudsman also conducted its own investigation to determine whether police and civilian officials could be held liable for the implementation of the dismissal order.
However, an investigation conducted by the Philippine National Police not only cleared the policemen of any violation but even commended those involved in the assault and defended their use of force.
The Western Visayas offices of the CHR and Ombudsman said the release of the results of their investigation would be up to their central offices in Manila.