A policewoman and at least ten protesters were injured when members of the Philippine National Police Crowd Dispersal Unit tried to prevent militants from getting near the Negros First Cyber Centre in Bacolod City where President Benigno Aquino III was attending its inauguration rites yesterday.

Police Officer 1 Mary Joy Tonogan of Capiz and part of the contingent of the Regional Public Safety Battalion was hit on the head with a stick by one of the protesters, Senior Supt. Roderick Agustus Alba, one of the police negotiators with the militants, said.

Tonogan was rushed to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, where she is now recuperating.

Alba said the policemen exercised maximum tolerance at the height of the protest action and even negotiated with the protesters to stay at the public plaza, but they insisted on getting near the NFCC.

He said that they were left with no choice but to block the protestors because they did not have permit to hold their rally, and that was when the commotion and the stoning incident occurred.

Alba said the PNP will gather evidence to determine who were responsible for throwing the stones and will file charges against them.

Ian Roland Evidente, former secretary general of Kilusang Mayo Uno, and one of those injured in the commotion, said the policemen hit them first and they only retaliated.

Evidente said the policemen blocked their way, would not allow their companions to deliver their food and pushed them away. He added that some of the policemen even hit the protesters with batons while others with shields.

He, however, has no list of the names of other protestors also injured during the brawl, although he said there were about nine of them.

Evidente denied that they threw stones and that there were negotiations between them and the policemen before the commotion happened.

The protesters said they welcome the charges to be filed by the policemen against them in relation to the injuries of Tonogan.

While the protest was ongoing at Locsin Street near the NFCC yesterday, the Bacolod City Social Services and Development Office led by Pacita Terro went to the area when they learned that there were children and minors participating.

Evidente admitted that there were children with them but he said they were with their parents. He also said that they ensured that the children are not in the front line and were safe inside the vehicles.

“Terminated”

Christian Tuayon, secretary general of Bayan-Negros said they do not acknowledge Aquino as president of the Philippines anymore because they already served him a “termination letter” ousting him from his position.

Tuayon said Aquino regarded the people as his boss, therefore, he should heed the call of his “bosses” to step down.

In their termination letter they said that among the violations Aquino has committed were the trampling of workers' rights to just wage and secure jobs, committing “treason by acting as puppet of the US that resulted in the death of 44 Special Action Force members of the Philippine National Police”, for “institutionalizing graft and corruption”, negligence in supporting and rehabilitating the victims of typhoon Yolanda, and for allowing the Balikatan Exercises in the country.

Other violations of Aquino they mentioned were the “never ending” human rights violations, failure to provide basic services for the poor, failure to uphold social justice, abandonment of education for the people, implementation of anti-driver policies, and high taxes.*APN

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