People of the Philippines vs Porquia, Bosque

ILOILO CITY
August 6, 2014

Under the PNoy presidency, shouting protest words when he is around is mortal sin, a crime even that two hapless students knew rather too late after a band of PNP physically assaulted them June 27, 2014 for heckling Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III during his visit in Iloilo City.

Estocapio: when is the exerecise of free expression
a crime?
Militants picketed the Hall of Justice here this afternoon in support of Tsinkai Porquia and Bryan Bosque, both members of Anakbayan, during their preliminary investigation before the city prosecutor. Both were charged for "alarm and scandal" after they allegedly jumped off a jeepney to slip through the cordon of the venue where President Benigno Aquino was delivering his address.

The complainants or the signatories to the complaint affidavits, two cops ranked PO1, though admitted they neither saw the two accused shouting at the scene nor heard their utterances when their grouped ganged up on protesters, one of them (Porquia) sustaining a  blooded lips in the aftermath. The two officers further hinted before the investigating public prosecutor they might as well drop their complaints.

The youths' counsel, Atty. Rene Estocapio told the officers his clients would be glad if the charges were dropped "immediately now or by tomorrow".

Estocapio, member of the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers, reminded them that since they admitted the case they had against the two accused was flimsy, "then drop it now."

What if the case were dragged and the two accused exonerated after a long and arduous inconvenience on their part?

Estocapio's answer to the cops: "Drop them or face administrative charges for human rights violations, grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming."

"Since when is shouting protests against the President a crime? Since when the exercise of freedom of speech a crime?" he asked.

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