Cop who rammed protesters: Self-preservation or I would have been dead

The police officer who drove the vehicle that rammed protesters outside the US Embassy in October on Tuesday said he was merely protecting his life when the incident happened. 

Appearing before an inquiry by the House committee on human rights, PO3 Franklin Kho said he never had any intention to hurt the demonstrators even if they were already becoming unruly.

When initially asked what prompted him to run over the protesters, Kho refused to answer, saying there are already pending cases against him and other police officers before the Office of the Ombudsman and the Manila Prosecutor's Office.

Pressed further, however, the police officer said: "Self-preservation [ang reason ko]. Wala po akong planong manakit. Hindi ko na po nakikta ang daan dahil maraming pintura iyong salamin ng saskayan at maraming pumapalo sa paligid ko," Kho recalled.

He said shards of glass were already flying around him as protesters shattered the window of the patrol car.

"Kung nahablot po ako sa loob ng saskayan ng mga raliyista baka nakalibing na ako ngayon," Kho said.

Earlier in the hearing, MPD deputy director for special operations Sr. Supt. Marcelino Pedrozo said he did not order but merely recommended the dispersal of the protesters. He said it was up to ground commander Supt. Albert Barot to decide on that matter.

"Instead na sundin niya iyong sinabi ko... he [Barot] negotiated with the leader [of the rallyists]. Kaya ibig sabihin kahit ano pa sabihin ng kung sino, ang  ground commander pa rin ang masusunod kung ano ang dapat gagawin," Pedrozo told lawmakers.

For his part, Barot, like Pedrozo, denied ordering the dispersal of the protesters. 

"No, I did not give the order of dispersal... No order of dispersal on my part," said Barot. 

He confirmed that Pedrozo indeed "uttered to disperse the group" but said he could not carry out the order because they lack personnel and fire trucks.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier suspected that Kho was acting in self-preservation when he rammed into the protesters.

"I'm not justifying it but maybe he was under stress that they might gang up on him, hurt him and he acted on instinct self preservation," said Duterte. — RSJ, GMA News