'Hip-hop gangsters' possibly behind September 21 riot — MPD

The Manila Police District (MPD) said Monday that a group of hip-hop gangsters who claimed to have been influenced by a certain rapper was possibly behind the violence that occurred during the September 21 rally against corruption in Manila.

MPD spokesperson Police Major Philip Ines was referring to the individuals wearing black clothing, bonnets, and masks who hurled objects and destroyed properties along Ayala Boulevard, Mendiola, and Recto Avenue.

“Initially ang nabuo lang nating information, mga miyembro ito ng mga hip-hop na gangster. ‘Yun lang ang nakuha natin. Ang kine-claim nila, naimpluwensiyahan lang sila ng isang tinatawag natin na isang rapper na personality, pero hindi pa natin ito naba-validate ‘to, account lang ito ng nasa kustodiya natin,” Ines said at a press conference. 

(Based on our initial information, these are members of hip-hop gangsters. That's all we got. What they claim is that they were influenced by a rapper. We have yet to validate that information as that was only based on the account of those under our custody.) 

He said these individuals who were arrested came from different areas in Metro Manila. The MPD is also coordinating with the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group to check their claims. 

“Sinasabi nila po, nagkaron ng paghikayat sa kanila online. Ang sa atin po, magkakaroon tayo ng pag-iimbestiga at hindi tayo papayag na hindi natin mapapanagot ang may hayagang paglabag sa batas,” Ines said. 

(They said they were encouraged online. We will conduct an investigation and we will ensure that these individuals who violate the law will be held accountable.) 

He said that police investigation is still ongoing and they are also looking into the possibility of leftist groups infiltrating the massive rallies on Sunday. 

Earlier, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno said an initial investigation pointed to a former politician and a lawyer as allegedly the ones who funded the rallyists. 

“Merong  mga initial report, sketchy pa, may dating pulitiko, Filipino-Chinese ang funder, tapos may isang abugado, funder din, nung mga bata na iyon kagabi,” Moreno said in an ambush interview.

(There are some initial reports, still sketchy, that a former politician, a Filipino-Chinese, is the funder, and also a lawyer who is a funder of those youths last night.)

A total of 76 civilians and 129 police personnel were reportedly injured amid the rallies on Sunday, according to Police Colonel Crisaleo Tolentino.

Trouble started when unidentified, young men lit several tires on fire in front of a shipping container that authorities were using as an obstacle.

Bottle, paint, and rocks were thrown at the cops who were forced to use their riot shields to protect themselves from the flying debris.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the masked individuals who hurled rocks at police at the Ayala and Mendiola areas were “mostly minors.”

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) president Renato Reyes also said the groups behind the commotion in Mendiola were not affiliated with them, saying he himself was injured in the incident. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News