MCPO denies harassing Coke protesters

CEBU, Philippines — The Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) has denied allegations that its officers harassed individuals who staged a protest near a softdrink company in Mandaue City last week.

In a press interview, Senior Superintendent Julian Entoma, MCPO director, said the police were exercising their duties as law enforcers and that the protesters were said to be unruly, they even harmed one of the responding police personnel.

"We are just exercising our rights as police ug sa katawhan, kay alangan naman magpuyo sila diha, di man sila authorize diha," Entoma said.

The protesters, Entoma explained, were not workers of the company and they did not have a permit to stage a protest.

The protest was because of labor issues including retrenchment of workers.

"Pag-picket nila sa Coca-Cola kay illegal, that they are employees of Coca-Cola, when in fact they are not," Entoma said, adding that they have caused delay of traffic along M.C. Briones St.

The workers were allegedly members of the Coalition of All Coca-Cola Workers Cebu, which is under the Alyansa sa mga Kontraktwal nga Mamumuo sa Sugbo.

Last November 16, Friday, at least three of the alleged workers were arrested by police for setting up a tent in front of the softdrink plant.

Entoma earlier said they filed a complaint of illegal picketing and direct assault for causing harm in one of his police personnel.

Entoma said they wanted to sleep in the area while the protest was ongoing that time.

In a previous report, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is looking into the incident and has sent its labor inspectors to check on the matter.

Johnson Cañete, regional director of DOLE, reportedly said that the dispute will be evaluated by the Labor Relations or Labor Standard Division of their agency.

Entoma added that the next time they will stage a protest, he hopes that they will ask for a permit and if they have concerns, they should also talk to the Human Resource Department of the plant company.

Entoma  shared that a protest staged against another company in the city was peaceful and that the police was notified. (FREEMAN)