Warrant issued for police officer who rammed protesters in 2016

MANILA, Philippines — A Manila court has ordered the arrest of a police officer who ran over protesters during a violent dispersal at the US Embassy in October 2016.

In an order issued on June 26, Manila Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) Branch 7 issued an arrest warrant for Police Staff Sergeant Franklin Kho on charges of three counts of attempted homicide.

The court has also set the bail at P36,000 for each count.

The arraignment and pre-trial of the case are scheduled for Sept. 2, 2024.

The "dispersal," condemned by the Commission on Human Rights and other rights groups, resulted in 50 activists being injured when Kho ran them over with a police vehicle.

In response, Kho said that he committed the act for “self-preservation.”

Footage of the incident shows the police officer accelerating forward and then reversing to hit the protesters.

At least one activist was pinned under the vehicle after being run over.