QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Tuesday’s strongly condemned the dispersal of university students rallying in front of the House of Representatives asking to be included in the congressional hearing on bills that would merge the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and other state universities and colleges in the country.
“This kind of action has no place in the city, especially Quezon City is known as a place where different groups can freely gather and express their thoughts and rights,” she said in a statement.
Belmonte’s reaction stemmed from an incident wherein protesting PUP students were reportedly hurt after they were dispersed by operatives of the Quezon City Police District.
A video showed policemen wer pushing and hitting the students with their shield and batons.
“I have reminded QCPD chief Gen. Rederico Maranan that we will not tolerate this kind of behavior,” Belmonte stressed.
Maranan, for his part, instructed the Internal Affairs Service to investigate if there was a violation of the police operational procedures.
On the other hand, the Commission on Human Rights called on the QCPD to exercise maximum tolerance and avoid the use of violent force when dispersing protesters.
We remind all agents of law enforcement that civilians have the constitutional right to peaceably assemble in public,” it said.