By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet

In the wake of nationwide anti-corruption protests across the country on Sunday, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro lamented the incidents of violence that broke out during the mass demonstrations.

At the Malacañang press briefing held on Monday, Castro declared that the government will prosecute those behind heinous acts that caused injuries to protesters and police personnel deployed in Mendiola and Ayala Bridge in Manila.

The Palace press briefer condemned the violence that unfolded on Sunday, “Kinokondena ng administrasyong ito at ng Pangulo ang paggamit ng mga kabataan, na gawing mga ‘tulisan,’ ng mga grupong itinatago ang mukha sa likod ng itim na maskara.”

She elaborated, “Team Itim kung maituturing, hindi sila raliyista na may lehitimong adhikain laban sa korapsyon, kung hindi gumawa lang ng karahasan, magnakaw, manunog at manira.”

DICT notes effectivity of “Oplan Cyberdome”

At the same press briefing, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) unraveled the organization behind the movement of “Team Itim” that stirred up violence in two areas near the seat of the government.

DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said hacktivist group Anonymous PH was the instigator of the upheavals, but the group has yet to formally claim or deny responsibility for their involvement in Sunday’s protests.

Aguda also touted the agency’s implementation of “Oplan Cyberdome,” a whole-of-country approach towards beefing up cybersecurity measures which involves close coordination with law enforcement agencies, telecommunications firms, social media platforms, private cybersecurity groups, and the domestic cybercommunity.

“Nakipag-ugnayan din tayo sa mga pangunahing pribadong korporasyon—sa bangko, enerhiya, tubig, [at] transportasyon—at lahat ng kanilang cybersecurity organization teams ay nakilahok para protektahan ang cyberspace.”

According to DICT’s report from the threat monitoring center at the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), there were 19 government websites that experienced defacement but were immediately acted upon by the respective government agencies.

Secretary Aguda elaborated, noting that the agency did not see any convergence of protesters from the streets to cyberspace and vice versa, “Para mailagay po natin sa perspective yung 19, 19 po out of the 60,000 apps and websites ng bansa. Maliit lang po ang naging epekto nito. Wala din pong naitalang matagumpay na cyber breach mula sa overseas o tinatawag po natin na nation-state actors. Ligtas at maayos lahat ng critical government systems.”

DILG, PNP outline interventions during mass demonstrations

Reiterating President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive of “maximum tolerance” among police personnel deployed at points of convergence for rallyists, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla clarified that the 4,000 cops in place at Mendiola and Ayala Bridge do not have firearms on them, with the exception of their Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) counterparts in the vicinity.

Secretary Remulla said of the police personnel’s actions towards pacifying violence, “Number one, there was no discharge of firearms from any PNP official. Number two, there was no teargas used by the PNP. Number three, only when the mob was throwing Molotov cocktails did the police push back—that crossed the line.”

He added, “There was an arrest of 216 individuals—127 adults and 89 minors. The minors were characterized as follows: 65 were children in conflict with the law (CICL) and 24 were children at risk. What is the difference? CICL is 15-17 [years old]; children at risk [are] 14 and below.”

As of press time, the arrested minors were already undergoing assessment and are being interviewed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), while the collared adults are now under the custody of the Manila Police District (MPD), with the processing of charges against them currently underway.

The Interior chief also reported that 95 PNP personnel were wounded during the protests, sustaining injuries after being doused with stagnant water from creeks and being hurled at by rocks and Molotov cocktails by unruly protesters.

Remulla quickly debunked rumors circulating on social media about deaths from Sunday’s protests, noting that there were zero casualties throughout the course of mass demonstrations.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, noted a “generally peaceful” situation during the nationwide anti-corruption protests coinciding with the 53rd Anniversary of the Declaration of Martial Law, attended by about 84,000 protesters divided into several groups.

Acting PNP Chief PLt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. touted the success of PNP’s interventions, which maximized the different resources of the agency and ensured the protection of the demonstrators’ right to freedom of expression and speech.

Nartatez, however, echoed earlier statements from fellow government officials condemning the isolated incidents of violence that disrupted the tranquility of the demonstrations.

“It is unfair for the rallyists, particularly doon sa Luneta and doon sa ating EDSA Shrine and People Power Monument, na napakatahimik po at nagpapasalamat kami sa kanilang cooperation.”

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