Complaint for ‘leading’ anti-Trump protest a ‘calibrated harassment,’ says Zarate

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate on Wednesday denounced the filing of charges against him for supposedly leading the protest actions against US President Donald Trump during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in November last year.

In a statement, Zarate labeled the move as a "calibrated harassment" against the Left.

Police Officer 1 Ariel Miranda Ortega filed the complaint against Zarate for violation of Section 13(a) of the Public Assembly Act of 1995, direct assault, and resistance and disobedience to a person in authority or the agents of such person, both covered in the Revised Penal Code.

A subpoena was issued on Zarate to submit on January 29 his counter-affidavit and other supporting documents at the Manila City Prosecutor's Office, but he received it only on the following day.

"Together with my co-accused, I will face these cases knowing that we did nothing wrong. We're just exercising our freedom of expression and right to assembly," Zarate said.

Also named in the complaint were Vencer Crisostomo and Einsteine Recedes of Anakbayan, Renato Reyes of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and Teddy Casiño of Bayan Muna.

Zarate said it was the protesters who were injured because the police blasted them with water cannons.

He also cited the police's use of the sonic weapon Long Range Acoustic Device against the protesters.

"We in the Makabayan bloc even filed House Resolution 1481 to investigate the violent dispersal. Now they even have the gall to charge us. This is police impunity and draconian rule under the Duterte administration," Zarate said. —ALG, GMA News