CHR to deploy three teams on rally site on Monday

Miami
July 27, 2008
Story: CHR to deploy three teams on rally site on Monday

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) will deploy three teams at the rally sites on Monday, July 27, 2008 to be on look on how the policemen and protesters will deal with each other.

The team will be composed of CHR’s own investigators, lawyers, doctors and reportorial team. Each team will have about ten members. The group will also have their video camera and still cameras to document the protest and how the police will perform.

In a phone interview, Marie Cruz, Spokesperson of CHR said the team will be deployed within the vicinity of Commonwealth Avenue, in front of St. Peter’s Church Basilica and Ever Gotesco Commonwealth.

The CHR also welcomes the plan of the PNP to deploy investigators in the area who will also bring video cameras with them. The PNP, as confirmed by Dir. Silverio Alarcio, Director for Operations, is also planning to document everything what will happen on the rally to know also how the police will act if disorder erupts during the rally.

“Whether they have their own video cameras with them (PNP), we will still be the observer, and we will be able to know among the two groups, based on the video (police and protesters) on who will first provoked the other,” Cruz said.

Meanwhile, PNP General Avelino Razon said in a radio interview that he kept on reminding the policemen to implement maximum tolerance to avoid having arguments with the protesters to avoid arguments.

About 10,000 protesters from different militant groups will stage their protests as President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will give her State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the House of Representatives.

Bayan Muna Secretary General Renato Reyes said that their program will focus on the continue crisis that the country is experiencing. “Our program will focus on the real situation of the economy like the increase in prices of basic commodities like rice, and the failure of the government to address the situation,” he said.

Reyes added that their permit to rally start 7:00 am and to be finished by 6:00 pm. At around 10:30 am they are expecting for the people to assemble in Commonwealth Avenue, from Ever Gotesco to St. Peter’s Church.