26 October 2005
Lomibao: Police not budging on CPR
MANAOAG – Philippine National Police Director General Arturo Lomibao said the police will continue to enforce the calibrated preemptive response (CPR) unless the law that provides the “no permit, no rally policy” is repealed.
Speaking to newsmen here after inaugurating the new P4.5 million police station cum tourist lounge of Manaoag town last Sunday said CPP is the application of the correct meaning of Batas Pambansa No. 880.
“We will never relax on CPR application. We can’t relax on implementing the law,” Lomibao said as he paraphrased the Latin maxim “Dure lex sed lex” (hard is the law but it is the law).
Lomibao said BP 880 actually explicitly provides the “no permit, no rally policy”, adding that those who tried to hold a rally at Mendiola on Oct. 14 had no permit in that area.
He admitted the rallyists had a permit only at Plaza Miranda and when they were already going home from a religious activity at San Sebastian Church, a group broke away and tried to cross Mendiola bridge which, according to Lomibao” is a “no rally zone”.
He said for as long as Congressmen Satur Ocampo, Tita Hontiveros and the other will not repeal the law (BP 880), “we will continue to apply it.”
Ocampo was one of those hosed down by firemen last Friday in the violent dispersal of the Mendiola rally. The other prominent persons in the group that allegedly broke away from the rest of rallyists and headed to Mendiola were former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Senator Jamby Madrigal, former Pangasinan Gov. Oscar Orbos and running priest Fr. Robert Reyes.
The PNP chief said it is the Civil Disturbance Management (CDM) unit that enforces BP 880.
Lomibao said that when the ‘breakaway’ group dashed toward the police line and wanted to break through, they were stopped by the CDM elements who used the water canon on the surging crowd, drenching even former Vice President Guingona.
Speaking to newsmen here after inaugurating the new P4.5 million police station cum tourist lounge of Manaoag town last Sunday said CPP is the application of the correct meaning of Batas Pambansa No. 880.
“We will never relax on CPR application. We can’t relax on implementing the law,” Lomibao said as he paraphrased the Latin maxim “Dure lex sed lex” (hard is the law but it is the law).
Lomibao said BP 880 actually explicitly provides the “no permit, no rally policy”, adding that those who tried to hold a rally at Mendiola on Oct. 14 had no permit in that area.
He admitted the rallyists had a permit only at Plaza Miranda and when they were already going home from a religious activity at San Sebastian Church, a group broke away and tried to cross Mendiola bridge which, according to Lomibao” is a “no rally zone”.
He said for as long as Congressmen Satur Ocampo, Tita Hontiveros and the other will not repeal the law (BP 880), “we will continue to apply it.”
Ocampo was one of those hosed down by firemen last Friday in the violent dispersal of the Mendiola rally. The other prominent persons in the group that allegedly broke away from the rest of rallyists and headed to Mendiola were former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Senator Jamby Madrigal, former Pangasinan Gov. Oscar Orbos and running priest Fr. Robert Reyes.
The PNP chief said it is the Civil Disturbance Management (CDM) unit that enforces BP 880.
Lomibao said that when the ‘breakaway’ group dashed toward the police line and wanted to break through, they were stopped by the CDM elements who used the water canon on the surging crowd, drenching even former Vice President Guingona.
