“I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.”
--Mahatma Gandhi
By Alex P. Vidal
NEWARK, New Jersey -- I did not regret it until now when I “ignored” the request of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in the Philippines for me to execute an affidavit to narrate what I saw when fully armed assault cops raided the Iloilo Provincial Capitol to forcibly remove then Governor Niel D. Tupas Sr. and two other members of the provincial board on January 17, 2007.
I knew it would be useless to join the fray because the Philippine National Police (PNP) would anyway exonerate those involved; the PNP bigwigs were not stupid to pin down their underlings.
It was enough and necessary that I decided to instead chronicle the event in my newspaper articles weeks after the violence.
The cases against the cops have been dismissed; my articles will remain intact on-line and in printed newspaper files for future generation.
When historians remember that ugly episode, they will be horrified to know that despite “overwhelming” pieces of evidence, the case has been whitewashed.
Being in the right place at the right time, I knew I hit a jackpot as a community journalist nevertheless.
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Then PNP chief Director General Oscar Calderon tasked Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Director Edgardo Doromal to investigate the allegation of “overkill”.
As expected, Doromal cleared the Iloilo Regional Mobile Group (RMG) team despite video footage aired on national television showing the mostly rookie cops pointing guns at civilians and some reporters inside the Iloilo capitol.
Doromal’s report claimed it was Tupas’ supporters led by his son, then Iloilo Provincial Board Member and future Rep. Niel “Jun-Jun” Tupas Jr., who initiated the scuffle.
The Civil Disturbance Management (CDM) group only reacted accordingly to the situation, insisted the PNP report.
What I saw, which was also witnessed by other reporters and capitol workers caught in the melee was the opposite: the 65 assault cops smashed the glass doors in the back, forcibly entered the capitol like they were looking for Osama bin Laden.
Inside the 2,248 square feet, six-storey with 37 offices capitol , they didn’t know where to proceed; they pointed their guns at terrified civilians and reporters on their way up to the next floors where they engaged Junjun Tupas and his sister, Tweety Balleza, in a loud scuffle.
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Then Provincial Administrator Manuel Mejorada was in the front line outside the capitol negotiating with the leaders of other PNP teams to calm down and not to enter the capitol.
Visayan Tribune publisher Johnny Dignadice, then 72 years old, and I were among those nearly mistaken as Bin Laden’s cohorts.
We saw long firearms being aimed right before our eyes.
Family members, some lawyers, and staff members stayed with Gov. Tupas and his wife Myrna in the governor’s office.
The tumult simmered down when Junjun Tupas waved and presented the fax copy of a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Court of Appeals.
The raiders failed to evict Tupas and Board Members Domingo Oso and Cecilia Capadosa.
The raiding cops were cleared even if Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, who ordered Tupas’ dismissal, admitted "there were very disturbing footage of the clearing operations."
Among those who constantly communicated with the Tupas family and monitored the ruckus in Manila were future President Noynoy Aquino, and Senators Mar Roxas and Chiz Escudero.
These national political figures condemned the raid.
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