16 trike drivers charged after violent rally

MANILA, Philippines - Sixteen drivers of motorized pedicabs or kuliglig were charged yesterday before the Manila prosecutor’s office for the violent rally that injured several people, including police officers.

The Manila Police District (MPD) said the charges include direct assault against agents of persons in authority, illegal assembly under Batas Pambansa 880, and traffic obstruction.

Nearly 500 protesters blocked roads near Manila City Hall with pedicabs – bicycles with sidecars – and kuliglig last Wednesday, demanding that Mayor Alfredo Lim rescind Executive Orders 16 and 17 banning the kuligligs from plying the city’s main roads.

After three hours of negotiations failed, the protest turned violent when police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the rallyists, who fought back with pillboxes, stones and bottles.

The 16 drivers spent Wednesday night at the MPD general assignments section (GAS). Two of them – Mary Joyce Mangalili, 22; and Marietta Comor, 42 – were women.

MPD-GAS head Chief Inspector Marcelo Reyes identified the other drivers as Eddie Managuelod, 50; Ato Ambag, 25; Kasir Morris, 28; Nelson Pineda, 35; Renato Palomo, 40; Armando Cudiamat, 43; Roberto Eugenio, 18; and Ricardo Dayanan, 18.

Also charged were Joey Macalino, 42, who sustained a head wound after he was hit with a baton; Allan Tayo, 35; Guiamel Mamoro, 26; Marvin Serrano, 25; Norjamil Daud, 31; and Eleuterio Tisado, 53.

The MPD has deployed anti-riot police to deter another raid by militant groups on the police headquarters.

Last Wednesday night, about 300 alleged members of the League of Filipino Students, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and Bayan Muna went to the MPD headquarters and defaced a monument honoring police officers who died in the line of duty, calling the Philippine National Police a “berdugo” or executioner.

Excessive force

Commission on Human Rights chairwoman Loretta Ann Rosales said they will ask Lim and concerned policemen to air their side on the violent dispersal of the rally.

“You can see in the news videos that there was excessive use of force by policemen against these kuliglig drivers. It was not necessary for them to use the truncheons against the protesters,” she said.

While Rosales said the drivers violated traffic rules, the police officers – as agents of the state – should have been more humane and “understood that these people have problems too.” She said policemen who were injured in the incident could also file charges against the drivers.

At least five protesters and 13 policemen were reportedly hurt during the dispersal.

Lim, on the other hand, denied claims that the police used excessive force in dispersing the rally, saying the drivers had been warned that their protest was causing a traffic gridlock.

Lim said the city government will stand firm on the ban. He said the kuliglig drivers can still ply the side streets provided they remove the engines – which are not registered with the Land Transportation Office – they put on their pedicabs.

Lim ordered the ban after receiving complaints about the noise and pollution caused by kuliglig engines, as well as traffic disruption created by these unlicensed vehicles as they shuttle in and out of main roads.– With Nestor Etolle, Rhodina Villanueva