A man seen on video holding a pistol, believed to be behind the killing of a 37-year-old construction worker at the height of a riot in Manila after the September 21 protests, is not part of the Philippine National Police (PNP), according to a lawmaker.
During the plenary debates at the House of Representatives on Thursday regarding the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), budget sponsor and Camarines Sur 4th District Rep. Arnie Fuentebella assured ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio that no PNP officer discharged a firearm that killed Eric Saber.
Tinio, during his time to quiz the PNP, an attached agency of the DILG, asked whether the police force had seen videos circulating on social media showing the exact moment Saber was gunned down amid the riot along Claro M. Recto Avenue in the City of Manila.
‘This is widely circulated on social media [.] the ones who entered the hotel have firearms before they eventually went out, so in the video, the alleged gunman who fired is wearing a blue sweater or sweatshirt, he is allegedly the gunman. This is evident in the video. He went in, and his two companions went in to rescue him,’ Tinio said.
‘We are not making any conclusions, but who are those people? Some are saying that maybe they are police officers (in plainclothes). My point is, there is evidence circulating on social media of gunmen in the vicinity right where the shooting happened. So in other words, if the police work on the investigation, they can identify the actual gunman who shot Eric Saber,’ he added.
‘Yes, actually, Madam Speaker, that’s part of the investigation, but we can say that these are not police officers; these people pertain to what we have been saying that they are rioters with guns. So, they are not part of the organization of the Philippine National Police,’ Fuentebella replied.
Tinio said he hopes Saber would get justice, saying that it is the wish of the victim’s relatives when he went to the wake over the weekend.
‘We talked to the family, of course, they are looking for justice for their brother,’ he added.
According to Tinio, Saber was neither part of the rally nor the riot – stressing that Saber’s family relayed that the construction worker only went to a mall in Pasay City to hang out with friends before returning home.
Since Saber lives in Tondo, he had to move through Recto Avenue to go home. Tinio said that Saber was curious about the rally and checked out what was happening.
‘He’s a construction worker, and actually he and his friends only visited MOA that afternoon – meaning, he is not part of those staging a rally. That is his photo. Then, when they were returning home in the afternoon, since he hails from Tondo, he had to move along Recto Avenue,’ Tinio said.
‘And because there has been a commotion near the area, and you know that many Filipinos during commotions are curious to see what is happening. So that is what happened, he was clearly a bystander, watching the riot unfolding,’ he added.
On September 21, two major rallies were organized by opposition groups – one in Luneta Park, Manila, in the morning, and another along the EDSA Shrine and the People Power Monument in Quezon City. Both were geared at protesting against the corruption schemes in the government’s infrastructure projects.
While the programs were generally peaceful, rallies took on a violent turn after some protesters not affiliated with organizers burned down a container trailer along Ayala Avenue – just a few steps from one of Malacañang complex’s gates.
The riot then shifted to Recto Avenue, and in one instance, shots were heard being fired near a hotel chain. The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), meanwhile, said that their officers did not fire guns during the protest.
No tear gas
Fuentebella, who was assisted by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, also maintained that no tear gas was released by the anti-riot force during the protests.
Fuentebella said this after being asked by Kamanggagawa party-list Rep. Elijah San Fernando about news reports stating that tear gas was used. According to the Camarines Sur solon, only ‘smoke grenades’ were deployed.
‘The DILG Secretary claims no teargas and guns were used by the police officers [.] Now based on media reports, the police responded with teargas and water cannons, and there are many pieces of evidence, videos, posts,’ San Fernando said.
‘Yes actually Madam Speaker, we have to be careful also in watching the media, because it is not teargas, it was smoke grenades Madam Speaker,’ Fuentebella replied.
San Fernando also asked Fuentebella about police officers carrying firearms to areas of rallies, which supposedly violates Batas Pambansa No. 880 or the The Public Assembly Act of 1985.
Fuentebella then said that only members of the PNP’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit have firearms, and they are located at the far end of the police line – and not at the front lines.
‘Now, the Public Assembly Act of 1985 or BP 880, Section 10(b), it says members of the law enforcement contingent shall not carry any kind of firearms but maybe equipped with batons, riot sticks, shields, crash helmets, visors, gas masks, boots, or ankle-high shoes with shin guards. Now there are media reports circulating that we can actually see our police personnel carrying firearms during the rally,’ San Fernando said.
‘Yes, the riot police had no firearms but SWAT they do have. But they were at the far back Madam Speaker, if we cannot control the rioters who we saw burning things, throwing stones, and causing violence in our society, then the SWAT has firearms to address it. But at the forefront, the ones in front are riot police, who do not have firearms, Madam Speaker,’ Fuentebella answered.