244 arrested for violent September 21 mass actions

Hip-hop rapper seen behind riots – MPD

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 244 people, including 103 minors, were arrested for alleged involvement in the violence that erupted during last Sunday’s day-long protest actions against corruption.

Police are eyeing the filing of sedition charges against those behind the violence on Mendiola and Claro M. Recto streets as participants of the Trillion Peso March and the Baha sa Luneta rallies at the EDSA Shrine and in Rizal Park began to peacefully disperse.

Young men mostly wearing black shirts and masks destroyed lampposts and traffic signals and set fire to a shipping container and old tires. They also lobbed rocks, bottles and Molotov cocktails at the ranks of crowd control police.

Police Maj. Hazel Asilo, spokesperson for the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), confirmed that a hip-hop rapper was among those identified as possible “instigators” of the violence.

“We are checking if there is someone backing up this person and if he is being used to influence the youth,” Asilo said in Filipino in an interview with “Storycon” on One News.

“We are not ruling out the angle that he is not really the one behind all of this… We are examining the possibility that there are others involved,” she added.

For the arrested adults, she said they are eyeing charges of illegal assembly, resistance and disobedience, direct assault, malicious mischief, arson and illegal possession of explosives.

The sense of discernment of the apprehended minors would be determined by the Department of Social Welfare and Development to guide authorities in the filing of possible charges against those to be identified as in conflict with the law.

Asilo said some of the minors were already determined as “children at risk” or those who might be influenced by others.

She confirmed that one person died due to stabbing, but said they are still verifying if the attack was connected to the protests.

Asilo also confirmed that another individual was shot and is currently unconscious at the hospital.

She claimed that the police deployed to the protests did not have guns and were only armed with batons and shields.

“We are still investigating who fired the gun,” she said in Filipino.

Terrorist bomb plot, Anonymous PH

At a Palace briefing, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said a local terrorist group had allegedly planned to bomb the Sept. 21 anti-corruption protests.

“That is why all contingencies were considered,” Remulla said. “The threat was more of a bomb that would go off in Luneta or at the People Power Monument. With the vigilance of our PNP, we had 400 policemen in plain clothes on the ground, assessing the situation – and the vigilance paid off.”

Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda said they were coordinating with social media platforms and telecommunication companies to identify members of Anonymous PH and their apparent spawn unit, the Black Mask March.

“The Black Mask March first spread from the group Anonymous PH, which is an active activist group,” Aguda said. “I have been coordinating with people from Anonymous PH, and they have not yet disowned the violence…(but) we already have persons of interest that we are watching,” he said.

The groups were tagged in online attacks against government websites and in “online-to-ground” activity that contributed to the Mendiola rally spiraling into violence.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin, meanwhile, said some rioters may have been instigated or even paid by outside personalities, including a former politician and a so-called “hip-hop gangster” rapper.

Palace press officer Claire Castro, for her part, said law enforcement agencies are investigating whether former Ilocos Sur governor Luis “Chavit” Singson is liable for inciting to sedition after calling for President Marcos’ removal and the establishment of a revolutionary government.

“While the people they want to step down are still in their posts, Mr. Chavit Singson said the parents should allow their children to stand for a revolution against corruption. So this should be investigated to determine if he can be charged with inciting to sedition,” she said.

Remulla said the participants and the instigators could face charges of arson, grave physical injuries and even sedition for threatening to “burn the Palace.”

Acting Philippine National Police chief Lt. Gen. Jose Nartatez Jr., meanwhile, said authorities are verifying if the acts that triggered them could be considered terrorism.

The Manila Police District remained on red alert while preparing charges of direct assault, malicious mischief and resisting arrest against the detainees.

Castro said President Marcos wants all those who resorted to violence to be held accountable.

“President Marcos is ready to respond to the call of the people so he respects their rights. He did not prevent the huge protests and the expression of the people’s anger against corruption. But this administration and the President condemn the use of young people as thugs by a group hiding behind black masks,” she said.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., meanwhile, warned that the violent participation of youth protesters has become a national security concern.

“This is a national security issue. It must be addressed immediately…We need to uncover – who is influencing, encouraging or possibly giving prohibited drugs to these young people. Those responsible should face serious charges and be punished accordingly.”

However, for Tindig Pilipinas convenor Kiko Aquino Dee, the “justified anger” behind the chaos that erupted in Mendiola is valid.

“The riots didn’t come from nowhere. What we’re seeing are really, really bad flooding, funds diverted from social services and grotesque displays of wealth by people alleged to be involved in the issue. Anger is the natural response to that. None of us would ever do what happened in Mendiola, but it comes from a place of justified anger,” Dee said in an interview. — Alexis Romero, Rainier Allan Ronda, Mark Ernest Villeza