Lawyer of Mandaue settlers arrested

CEBU, Philippines - A lawyer supporting the illegal settlers in Mandaue City was arrested at the height of a commotion during a demolition in Barangay Subangdaku yesterday afternoon.

Senior Inspector Miguel Andeza, chief of the Subangdaku Police Station, said they placed lawyer Jose Aaron Pedrosa under arrest when the lawyer accused the police of manhandling the informal settlers and challenged his men to arrest him.

Pedrosa, 29, is the secretary general of Sanlakas, which is helping the informal settlers in sitios Mahayag and Mahusay.

Also arrested was Jessica Suniega, 24, who allegedly attacked a policeman, Police Officer 2 Jessie James Galo, by allegedly scratching him in the neck and chest.

Members of the city’s demolition team sought assistance from the police when some informal settlers allegedly began throwing stones at them.

Andeza said the commotion escalated when the settlers allegedly threw human feces at the demolition team members who began loading house parts unto dump trucks.

Another cop, Police Officer 1 Edgar Macasolot Jr., was also wounded in his two arms.

“Ang demolition team man gud, gi-orderan nga hawanan na ang lugar sa ilang mga ginuba kay aron sad mamahawa na sila sa lugar,” Andeza explained.

However, as police started to intervene, Pedrosa reportedly arrived and started accusing the cops of manhandling the illegal settlers.

Both Pedrosa and Suniega were then brought to the Subangdaku Police Station.

“Bahala na og unsay iyang ikaso sa police. We are just doing our job. We have been exercising maximum tolerance. Nahilom naman unta ning mga informal settlers, andam naman unta sila nga mupahawa sa lugar, apan nigara lang ni sila karon aning Pedrosa,” Andeza said.

He said charges for obstruction of justice will be filed against Pedrosa while charges for resisting and disobedience toward a person in authority and physical injury will be filed against Suniega.

Pedrosa, for his part, insisted that the illegal settlers were handled unjustly and that the authorities failed to observe protocol in carrying out the demolition. He alleged that the police took Suniega’s clothes off during the altercation.

He said there is no basis to charge him for obstructing justice because he only went to the area to help pacify the commotion.

He said counter-charges are in place against the policemen before the National Police Commission and the Office of the Ombudsman.

The informal settlers who visited Pedrosa at the police station said they will remain at the demolition site until the court will resolve the cases they filed against the city government. — (FREEMAN)