CentCom, PRO-7 confident People Power won’t happen in Duterte’s term

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7)  and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Central Command (CentCom) are convinced that another People Power is not likely to happen during President Rodrigo Duterte’s term.

On the 33rd anniversary of the EDSA revolution, the PRO-7 and the CentCom conducted a joint flag raising ceremony to commemorate the event at the Camp Sergio Osmeña on Monday, February 25, 2019.

Major General Noel Clement, commander of the CentCom, said that freedom is felt more these days compared to the Martial Law era of former president Ferdinand Marcos as people are free to speak out their concerns.

“I think yung freedom can be felt more. Yung mga nag-rarally diyan, pinapayagan naman. You can air your sentiments if you have complaints against the government,” said Clement.

However, Clement reminded the protesters to do their rallies peacefully as it is the essence of the People Power revolution.

“You remove dictators or officials sitting in power, but you do it in a peaceful manner. Wag yung violence, where you call people to the streets to bear arms against the government,” he added.

Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, the director of the PRO-7, said that there are also no factors that can lead to another People Power in the present administration.

“There is no valid cause kasi. Kanang uban, more on imagined than reality ang threats. Ang situation does not call for a People Power,” said Sinas.

Sinas said that the thrust of the President is strong, especially on his support on the PNP and AFP, which empowers the law enforcers to be independent from the local government.

Threat to democracy

For both Clement and Sinas, the People Power Revolution was a celebration of freedom, a freedom that remains to be enjoyed by the public today.

However, cause-oriented groups think otherwise as members of BAYAN-Central Visayas along with Karapatan, Anak Bayan, Bayan Muna, Gabriela, KMU, Anak Pawis and Piston staged a protest outside Camp Sergio Osmeña.

Jaime Paglinawan, chairman of the BAYAN-Central Visayas, said that the spate of killings due to the administration’s war on drugs and the martial law in Mindanao is a threat to democracy.

The militant groups paraded from the Capitol to the Camp Sergio Osmeña in commemoration of the EDSA revolution.

Read: ‘Police have the right not to listen to protesters’

A commotion occurred when the police played loud music while the protest was going on, which prompted the militant groups to block cars from the camp’s driveway and to attempt to barge in through the camp’s gate to force the police to listen to their demands.

Chief of the Regional Intelligence Division (RID), Remus Medina, said that the militant groups had the right to air their concerns, the police also had the right not to listen.

He said that the groups did not have a permit to rally in front of the PRO-7 and so they have the right to refuse to listen their concerns.

Medina said that the police would listen to the concerns of people done in diplomatic and legitimate manner.

The protesters left the camp after a series of reprimanding from the PRO-7 officials. They continued their protest in Colon Street in downtown Cebu City. /bmjo