PNP ready to face charges over bloody Kidapawan dispersal

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday said it is ready to face the charges that will be filed against officers involved in the violent dispersal of protesting farmers in Kidapawan City in April.

"Once na-endorse siya sa Ombudsman or sa Department of Justice then yung office na 'yun will evaluate yung kaso then sasagutin namin," said C/Insp. Wilben Mayor, the PNP spokesman, in an interview on News TV Quick Response Team.

He was referring to the possible case that may be filed in light of the findings of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) that said both the protesters and the government officials erred in the dispersal, resulting in the death of two farmers.

Mayor said filing a complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman or the DOJ would give the concerned officers chance to air their side. "Ito na rin ang pagkakataon sa ating concerned officers na magpahayag ng kanilang panig," he said.

The CHR resolution released Wednesday said the PNP used excessive force beyond their protocols in dispersing the farmer-protesters out of the main highway. 

"Sabi nga ng CHR ie-endorse nila yan sa Ombudsman o sa Department of Justice, that's the time na kapag mayroon na kaming notice o subpoena or directives ng opisina kung kanino sasagot yung mga policemen na involved, that's the time na sasagutin po ng ating mga kapulisan," Mayor said.

Mayor added it will release its own report on the matter once PNP chief Dir. Gen. Ricardo Marquez approves the findings.

Meanwhile, the CHR resolution also put to task the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) as among the principal organizers who deceitfully lured the farmers to join the protest and the local government of Cotabato for failing to provide the farmers' much-need food assistance.

Blame should reach PNoy

The KMP, on the other hand, chided CHR for excluding President Benigno Aquino III, Social Welfare Sec. Dinky Soliman, and Agriculture Sec. Proseso Alcala as among those who should be held liable for the violence.

"Nowhere in the CHR resolution can you find a single of mention of the landlord President’s name, Alcala and Soliman who are the most responsible for criminal negligence and outright denial of the people’s right to food," said KMP secretary general Antonio Flores in a statement.

The militant peasant group noted that the CHR played the blame-the-victim spin by invoking the Batas Pambansa (BP) 800 or the edict used to suppress the freedom of assembly and so-called instrumentalization.

"By invoking BP 880, the CHR committed a violation of the peoples’ right and has been instrument in further suppressing the truth behind the lingering poverty and hunger suffered by farmers," Flores said.

"CHR muddled legitimacy of protest"

Meanwhile, human rights advocacy group Karapatan said the CHR resolution essentially justified the government's use of violence and its failure to address the needs of the El Niño-stricken farmers.

"By doing this, the CHR muddled the legitimacy of the farmers' protest. It also justifies the State’s use of force and in the killing, illegal arrest and other rights violations against the protesting farmers," Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said in a statement.

"It is eerily silent on the regime’s numerous efforts to cover up these violations," she added.

Karapatan defended KMP in its alleged deceit of the farmers and suggested the group in fact "correctly led the farmers in asserting their right to demand for calamity funds and to air their other legitimate concerns." —Joseph Tristan Roxas/KBK, GMA News