CHR asks PNP: Why use live ammo in Kidapawan dispersal?

The Commission on Human Rights on Monday questioned the police's use of guns and firing of live ammunition during the dispersal of protesters in Kidapawan City last Friday.

“Ang isang malaking tanong, bakit may paggamit ng live ammunition?” CHR Chairman Chito Gascon said in an interview on "News To Go."

Gascon said that law enforcers can only carry firearms during operations against criminals.

“Ang law enforcement officers, siyempre may mga dalang armas po sila para harapin yung posibilidad na may kriminal or salarin na armado rin na haharapin nila,” he said.

He added that policemen are only allowed to bring shields and truncheons during crowd dispersal operations.

“Bahagi ng maximum tolerance ay paggamit ng non-lethal weapons tulad ng truncheons, shield, water cannon and tear gas,” Gascon said.

Three farmers died after being shot during the dispersal on the Cotabato-Davao highway in Kidapawan City last Friday.

At least 200 people, including policemen and protesters, were also reportedly hurt during the dispersal.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) suspects that some protesters were armed because one of the policemen hurt during the dispersal suffered a gunshot wound.

Meanwhile, Gascon said that they are reviewing all available videos on the protest to determine which group really started the violence.

He said they wanted to know why the policemen were ordered to bring firearms during the dispersal.

Given that some of the protesters carried firearms, it should not justify the policemen's firing of their guns during the crowd dispersal operation, he added.

“Hindi porke’t ‘yung isa ay may hawak na armas ay itututok mo na ’yung baril,” Gascon said.

The PNP said that policemen were hit by rocks hurled by the protesters during the dispersal.

Gascon said in handling incidents like this, authorities must follow certain rules.

“Mayroon po tayong rules. Rules of necessity, kailangan ba gamitin ang baril? Rules of proportionality, kung binabato po ba kayo ng bato, gagamit ba ng bala? And siyempre discrimination, hindi puwedeng tinututok ang mga lethal arm sa mga hindi threats,” Gascon said.

The CHR chief, meanwhile, urged all parties concerned to cooperate with their investigators.

“Nananawagan po kami na magkaroon ng kalmadong approach rito at mag cooperate lahat,” Gascon said. —Kiersnerr Gerwin Tacadena/ALG, GMA News