Gov’t urged to respect right to protest vs. Pax Silica

MANILA – The people have the right to protest. 

Progressive groups asserted this after authorities arrested five paralegals who responded during the September 10 protest at the Grand Hyatt Manila, where the Luzon Economic Corridor forum was held, attended by 600 foreign investors, industry leaders, and government officials.

The arrested paralegals were released on bail on September 12. 

In particular, human rights group Karapatan criticized Presidential Spokesperson Claire Castro’s statement that those who oppose Pax Silica should course their objections through “proper channels,” claiming that “proper protest uses reason and intelligence.” 

Philippine National Police Chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., meanwhile, said that the right to protest must remain “within the bounds of the law” and urged cause-oriented groups to raise their concerns through “lawful means.” 

Karapatan maintained that the arrests were unlawful and arbitrary and impeded the peoples’ right to protest.

“It is the State that carries out unlawful and arbitrary arrests through Marcosian laws such as Batas Pambansa 880. Whose interests are you protecting, that of the people or that of big business who will benefit from the Pax Silica?” Karapatan Secretary-General Cristina Palabay said in a statement.

Batas Pambansa 880 is also known as the Public Assembly Act, a relic of the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., used against activists and community leaders for expressing their grievances and dissent to the government. 

Karapatan’s three paralegals — Jona Yang, Kenneth Castro, and Mara Peralta — were arrested during the dispersal and brought to the Tuktukan Police Station. While two other paralegals, Daya Juliano and RC Placido, were arrested while providing legal assistance to the 3 arrested paralegals.

“The President recognizes the freedom of expression. But not in a manner that could cause harm or potentially lead to violence. If they have something they wish to convey regarding the Pax Silica issue, the government agency concerned with the Pax Silica project is open to hearing their concerns,” Castro said in Filipino. 

In reaction, Palabay said, “The right to protest is not conditional on whether the government approves of what people are saying. People have the right to dissent, to oppose government policies, to expose their consequences and to demand accountability. People’s rights do not become suspended whenever the President is courting foreign investors.”

The LEC Investment Forum was organized by the United States, Philippines, and Japan, convening 600 investors. The site of Pax Silica is in New Clark City, positioned as the anchor of the LEC connecting Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas. 

Center for Environmental Concerns, an environmental research institution, noted that the project will require not only 5 million gallons of water for cooling and other operations, but also displace an estimated 20,000 Aeta indigenous peoples.

Amnesty International Philippines also condemned the police violence. “Almost without exception, this wave of mass protest has been met with obstructive, repressive and often violent responses by state authorities. Instead of facilitating the right to protest, this government is going at greater lengths to quash it.”

On September 11, the police reportedly disrupted the protest caravan against LEC and Pax Silica by conducting arbitrary checkpoints in Pampanga and Tarlac. The security personnel of New Clark City also blocked the protest at the entrance of the former US Clark Base. 

The police also filed a case against three individuals, including Bayan Chairperson Teddy Casiño. For Bayan, these tactics mirror the Martial Law tactics used to silence the activists during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

“The police violence and Malacañang’s response are reminiscent of the tactics used during Martial Law to quell protests. They highlight the government’s desperation to undermine the people’s rising dissatisfaction against the worsening poverty and corruption, while Marcos and his cronies are treasonously promoting the imperialist agenda of their US patrons,” Bayan said in a statement, 

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) also announced that it will deploy 15,000 personnel in the upcoming Martial Law commemoration on September 21. (AMU, DAA)

The post Gov’t urged to respect right to protest vs. Pax Silica appeared first on Bulatlat.