‘Pride 20’ protesters said they were preparing to leave when police arrested them

The 20 protesters who conducted a peaceful Pride March in Manila City last month were preparing to end their program and leave when police arrested them for supposedly violating quarantine restrictions against mass gatherings.

In an interview on “Quarantined with Howie Severino,” Bahaghari national spokesperson Rey Salinas said she and her fellow protesters had agreed to end their protest after police rejected their request for 10 more minutes for the program.

“Sinabi niya, ‘Kuya, pwede po ba kaming manghingi ng sampung minuto? Kahit dalawang speakers lang po?’ And then eventually, nag-negotiate sila, naging malinaw sa amin na hindi talaga papayag ang kapulisan,” Salinas said, referring to protester Andew Zarate, who spoke with the police.

“So sinabi ni Andrew, ‘Sige, Kuya, kahit one minute na lang po, aalis na po kami.’ ‘Yun po ang sinabi niya, ‘One minute na lang po, aalis na po kami kasi mag-e-egress na kami.’ And right after sinabi niya ‘yun, bigla siyang binunot ng pulis. Bigla siyang hinuli. Violently kinaladkad siya and then do’n na nagkagulo,” Salinas recounted.

She also decried accusations that the protesters did not observe social distancing, clarifying that they wore masks and maintained the proper distance from one another.

Salinas pointed out that social distancing was not enforced when they were detained.

“Siniksik kami sa isang napakaliit na espasyo. Seven kami katao. At sa espasyo na iyon, wala pong social distancing na pwedeng ma-observe which is ironic kasi ang pulis sinasabi nila wala raw kaming social distancing and yet pinilit kami sa isang room kung saan impossible na magkaroon ng social distancing,” she said.

Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac said the incident may have been caused by miscommunication on the part of the protesters.

“Maaaring kinulang lamang talaga ng communication sa panig ng mga nagprotesta. Kung ito ay naipahayag nila ng maayos doon sa mga nagrespondeng pulis na sila ay paalis na pala at itinigil na nila ‘yung kanilang ginagawang activity, maaari naman nilang payagan na umalis nang maayos, umuwi ng maayos,” he said.

He also maintained that the PNP exercises maximum tolerance despite the tension that rose at the protest action. 

The protesters also said the cops who arrested them did not inform them of their rights beforehand.

“Itong mga pulis natin, kung halimbawa hindi nila nagampanan ‘yun, ‘yung pagbabasa ng karapatan ng arestado na mga mamamayan, maaari silang maharap din sa administrative case or proceeding nang hindi nila pagtalima sa procedure ng arrest,” Banac said.

The spokesman said protests are not illegal but stressed that there are prevailing restrictions against mass gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Wala namang pagbabawal sa ating pagsasagawa ng protesta. ‘Yun lamang ay may mga restriction tayo na pinaiiral ngayon katulad ng kinakailangan may permiso tayo sa local government unit kung tayo ma’y magsasagawa ng ganitong kilos-protesta,” the police official said.

In May, National Capital Region Police Office chief Police Major General Debold Sinas allowed a mañanita—a birthday party tradition among police—in his honor to proceed even though Metro Manila was under the stricter enhanced community quarantine at the time. Neither Sinas nor any of the guests was arrested.

Amid public outrage over what was seen as double standards, the PNP's Internal Affairs Service filed a criminal complaint against Sinas and 18 others.

The “Pride 20” have sued the 10 cops who arrested them before the Office of the Ombudsman.  — Julia Mari Ornedo/BM, GMA News