National Capital Region Police Office director Chief Supt. Oscar Albayalde ordered Thursday the relief of Senior Supt. Marcelino Pedrozo and eight other Manila Police District officers involved in the violent dispersal of a rally at the US Embassy in Manila Wednesday.
"I directed for their immediate administrative relief, SSUPT PEDROZO and eight others," Albayalde said in a text message to GMA News Online.
The NCRPO chief said PO3 Franklin Kho, the driver of the police van that rammed through protesters, was among those relieved and will be transferred to the Regional Headquarters Service.
"Yes included si Kho. Ma-assign muna sila sa Regional Headquarters Service," he said.
"This is to ensure impartiality on the conduct of investigation on the incident," Albayalde added.
Aside from the two, others relieved were:
- Supt Albert Barot, Station Commander PS5/Ground Commander
- Chief Inspector Dionelle Brannon, Pedro Gil PCP Commander
- Chief Inspector Elmer P. Oseo Deputy, PS5
- Chief Inspector Joebie Astucia, Chief Operations, PS5
- Chief Inspector Roberto Marinda, Coy Commander CRB (Augmentation)
- Chief Inspector Roberto Mangune, Coy Commander US Embassy Detail
- Senior Inspector Edgardo Orongan, Chief Operations District Public Safety Batallion
At a press conference, MPD director Senior Supt. Joel Coronel said 40 more MPD personnel directly involved in the dispersal have also been placed under restrictive custody.
He said they were relieved from their duties but still assigned with the MPD.
Coronel said the nine were transferred to the NCRPO Regional Headquarters Service because they were the “officers responsible for the conduct of operations on the ground.”
Disperse the protesters
Pedrozo, MPD deputy director for operations, was heard telling his men to disperse the protesters after they managed to go near the US Embassy.
He was heard telling policemen to fight. He indicated that it was a shame that the protesters reached the embassy area.
"Wala man lang kayong hinuli, ang dami-dami niyan... Magkagulo na kung magkagulo, pulis tayo rito, e. Pwede ba tayong patalo sa mga yan? Anong mukhang ihaharap natin sa embassy? Kaya i-disperse mo 'yan," Pedrozo told an officer at the area.
"Lumaban kasi kayo! Mga pulis kayo hindi kayo lumalaban!" he added, this time addressing the anti-riot policemen.
In a text message to GMA News Online Wednesday night, Pedrozo denied he ordered the dispersal.
"Wala po tayo inutos na dispersal, sila nag-umpisa na manakit ng mga pulis. Gusto lang ng driver ng mobile na ialis ang sasakyan dahil sinisira na ng mga rallyists," Pedrozo said.
"Ang nangyari gusto agawin sa kanya ang mobile, kaya sa kagustuhan niya maialis at makaiwas sa pananakit ng mga raliyista ay iniwas niya ang sasakyan," he added.
But Renato Reyes, secretary general of the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, maintained that the violent dispersal was planned by the police because the rally was about to end, and that all throughout the program it was peaceful.
"Bago dumating si Senior Supt. Marcelino Pedrozo ... maayos at pataos na ang aming programa. We were down to the last speaker. Pero pinilit niyang i-disperse ang rally ... kitang-kita naman sa video nsa sabi niya, 'wala na tayong mukhang ihaharap sa US Embassy'," Reyes said.
Reyes said Pedrozo should be made accountable.
In an earlier interview on Unang Balita, NCRPO's Albayalde said that based on initial investigation 22 protesters and 35 police personnel were hurt in the incident.
Also, he said that 21 protesters were brought the police station, two of them minors. All were released to their lawyers later —no one was detained.
SOURCE: ABS-CBN
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