Police Action at Project Jericho Uncalled For

At 6 pm, we started marching peacefully towards SM, some 500 of us. But even before reaching Sunshine Park, I knew something was wrong. There were policemen everywhere. Upon reaching Sunshine Park, I went up the gates of UP Baguio expecting the UP Jodera and UP Endangles groups to be coming out. Instead, some 50 policemen were near the gates, seemingly ready to stop any movement of students from going to Sunshine Park. I knew then that the policemen were informed beforehand of our planned Jericho walk around SM. They were everywhere.

Upon reaching the first gate, some 50 policemen stopped us and barricaded by public road and sidewalks going up SM. They said they were protecting SM from troublemakers. We said we were just passing through, peacefully. But they were menacing, rude and impolite. They said we will create trouble Karlo told them “I have my children with me, how can you say we will make trouble?”. The police spokesamn said we cannot get through.

We walked on to the second gate, lit candles on hand. Again some 50 policemen stopped us, together with SM security guards. We reminded the police that we have the right to pass through but they barricaded the road too.

At the third or main gate to SM, some 40 to 50 policemen and SM security guards were there, some with truncheons. We were prevented once more from passing along the sidewalks which they barricaded.

So we proceeded to march around SM once more.

The police are public servants. But they seemed to me the enemy. They were serving SM. They were ready to attack and hurt us even with the women and children with us. We just wanted a peaceful walk around SM. But we were met by phalanx of policemen wiling to hurt for the sake of a corporation.

And P-noy called us his Bosses. What a big joke.


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