(Eagle News) — The Philippine National Police on Tuesday filed a case against former Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary general Renato Reyes, and another over a rally that saw at least 16, including six policemen, hurt.
In the complaint filed before the Manila Prosecutor’s Office, the police said Casiño, Reyes and Neil Legaspi violated the Public Assembly Act of 1985 when they committed breach of peace, assault, and disobedience and resistance to authorities in the rally they organized in time for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit.
Earlier, National Capital Region Police Office director Oscar Albayalde said the militants forced their way into a police barrier, which had been set up to prevent them from approaching the Philippine International Convention Center where the summit was being held.
The Manila government previously announced that protesters during the ASEAN event were to be confined to freedom parks.
Albayalde said the militants did not secure a permit for their rally.
According to the complaint, Legaspi was arrested for driving the van that “bumped and ran back and forth” toward the police barrier.
The battalion commander, the complaint said, told Legaspi to stop but he refused.
“Hence, reasonable force was applied…,” the complaint said.
Reyes and Casiño were charged because they were the protest leaders at that time.
