MANILA, Philippines — Police confiscated Akbayan members’ placards during the Mass at Quiapo Church on Monday because it was “disrespectful” but also to keep activists from joining a press conference afterwards that police said they received information about.
Police Brig. Gen. Rolly Miranda, Manila Police District chief, said in an interview with ABS-CBN's Teleradyo that they had information that members of Akbayan would “storm out” during a press conference of Sen. Risa Hontiveros and would stand in the background with their placards
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But these protesters also “displayed” their banners while the Mass was ongoing. “You do not need to bring placards inside the church and bring them out while you are praying,” Miranda said in Filipino.
He said that people go to church to pray and not to “display your placards that say ‘No to Anti-Terror,’ the words of an activist, inside the church.”
Asked why they confiscated the placards while the Mass was ongoing, the Manila top cop said: “Pagka-ganoon ang nangyari, magkakaron ng commotion, magkakagulo."
(If that will happen, there will be a commotion.)
He added: "Hanggat hindi pa nila nagagawa yung plano nila ay gawin na natin."
(Let us do it before they can do what they were planning)
Confiscation
A security report submitted to the Quiapo Church rector noted that security for the "Mass for Justice and Peace" was coordinated with the Plaza Miranda Police Community Precinct
According to a media advisory from Sen. Risa Hontiveros' office, "among those who will attend are [Hontiveros], former Department of Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro, singer Bayang Barrios, and labor leaders Rene Magtubo and [lawyer] Sonny Matula."
The mass was among the activities slated for Monday’s "SONAGkaisa" protest.
"At around 12:45 p.m. P/Col. [John] Guiagui and P/Maj. Balagat approached [two] personnel male and female showing placards while kneeling and seating [sic] with printed signs ‘Ipaglaban ang Kalayaan RESIST TERROR LAW,’ thus the officers took the cards from them and noticed some in plastic bag, he resisted to give so the officer grabbed it,” the report, signed by OIC-Security Joven Avery read.
Two other guards also approached the Akbayan members "and reminded [them] not to display it because the Mass is still going on,” the security report read.
Miranda, for his part, added that when police confiscated the banners, there was no commotion and they did not disrespect the conduct of the Holy Mass. "I think it will be more disrespectful if you have placards displayed during the Mass," he said.
He also said that nobody was arrested during the incident and they only confiscated the placards.
Freedom of expression
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra earlier said that placards bearing one’s stand on national issues should not be confiscated.
Guevarra explained that police may seize materials if “the contents incite people to rise up in arms against the duly constituted authorities.” These can be seized “as part of the evidence for a possible prosecution for the offense of inciting to sedition.”
However, if the contents of the banners or placards merely contain one’s expression on national issues, this is covered by the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression.
Guevarra added: “If the contents merely express a position on public issues, such as one’s stand against the [Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020], written on placards or streamers, the same constitute a lawful exercise of one’s freedom of speech or expression protected by the Constitution.” — Kristine Joy Patag