‘Study issues before protests’

FOREIGN Affairs Undersecretary Laura del Rosario yesterday said there are no rules against protest actions as long as these do not invade the APEC meeting rooms.

But she said activists should study the issues before they conduct a rally because some issues may not be in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) agenda or are no longer relevant.

“Verify with us before you protest. Do not generalize,” she said in a press conference at the APEC International Media Center yesterday.

“I’m not preventing you from protesting. This is a democratic country. Remember I protested against hotel rates myself,” she added, referring to her complaint earlier about how some hotels in Cebu City have jacked up rates for the APEC meetings.

Two brief protest actions have been held outside Radisson Blu Hotel, one of the meeting venues, since the Third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM3) started on Aug. 22.

Student leaders who staged a protest action early this week have complained about harassment.

In a press conference yesterday, Rise for Education spokesman Ken Ecarma said at least five men went to his house looking for him.

Niño Olayvar, vice president of Anakbayan Visayas, said they have recorded at least five incidents of harassment.

“Although there is no explicit form of (life threat) but we are harassed,” Olayvar said.

Some student leaders were summoned by their school administrators.

“They (school administrators) showed concern but discouraged us (from holding) protest rallies,” Olayvar added.

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, who joined the press conference, said “harassment is a form of violation of rights.”

Bayan Central Visayas chairman Jaime Paglinawan said they will continue to hold protests against the APEC meetings. Another rally is set today in front of one of the venues of the APEC meetings.