Transport caravan 'plankers' face arrest, NCRPO says

MANILA, Philippines - The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said yesterday it will arrest those who will try “planking” or lying face down along major roads during tomorrow’s transport caravan.

NCRPO deputy director Chief Superintendent Juanito Vaño Jr. said although police officers will exercise “maximum tolerance” for protesters, plankers could get themselves arrested for violating Batas Pambansa 880 or the Public Assembly Act.

“They should do it in freedom parks, and if they insist on doing it (on major roads), we will disperse them,” Vaño said after attending the inter-agency meeting at the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) main office for tomorrow’s transport caravan.

Vaño was designated yesterday by Task Force on Transport Strike and Mass Action (TRASMA) head and MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino as the task force’s overall ground commander, who will monitor the strike.

According to the NCRPO, they have asked the help of representatives from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to ensure that the rights of “plankers” will be respected.

“We will be having representatives from the CHR and DOJ prosecutors to assist us in apprehending violators and file the necessary charges. We’re appealing to the demonstrators to comply with the law, and they will not be dispersed and charged,” Vaño said.

The NCRPO will deploy 200 anti-riot policemen, most of them to secure the head offices of Pilipinas Shell, Chevron and Petron.

The transport caravan, which will be led by the Pinag-Isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytors Nationwide (Piston), is the reaction of various groups to the spiraling prices of oil and petroleum products.

According to Piston national president George San Mateo, a 30-vehicle caravan will proceed to the offices of Shell, Chevron and Petron in Makati tomorrow morning.

Piston said the caravan will be joined by groups Anakpawis, the League of Filipino Students and other organizations, which will stage protests at Welcome Rotunda, Mendiola and near the Pandacan oil depot in Manila.

Tolentino said traffic enforcers will ensure that the caravan will not cause traffic jams and that the MMDA will deploy buses at strategic areas to ferry stranded commuters. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe