Several wounded in Baybay rally!

Several rallyists and policemen were wounded during the indignation rally initiated by the group led by mayoral candidate Marilou Galenzoga, at the City Hall here last Sunday, a police report said.

The rallyists were condemning and dramatizing their opposition to the Commission on Elections proclamation of reelectionist Mayor Carmen last May 14, 2013.

The supposed to be peaceful rally held after a Thanksgiving Mass participated in by about 5,000 supporters of Galenzoga turned violent after many of the uncontrolled rallyists engaged in stone- throwing with the police and some supporters of Mayor Cari at the city hall compound last Sunday afternoon.

Police Superintendent Carlito Gallardo, chief of police of this city, told reporters that the rallyists-police confrontation that lasted for almost an hour has wounded seven policemen and several rallyists. He added that an 18-year old bystander was wounded by an astray bullet from an unknown person.

Gallardo said that the rallyists threw stones to the policemen and there were policemen who also threw stones to the rallyists in retaliation. He added that that some supporters of Mayor Cari who were in the City Hall also engaged in stone- throwing with the rallyists.

The rallyists blamed the police for initiating the trouble, claiming that the trouble started when a policeman hit the photographer and a supporter of Galenzoga. The rallyists added that they only retaliated after two of their supporters were hit by the police.

Gallardo said that the policeman was inside the City Hall compound and the rallyists forcibly entered by destroying the police barricade. “Pinakiusapan naming sila na pag-usapan lang yong problema, e, nagderideritso man sila at hindi sila nakining sa pakiusap ng police, ang police naman dahil iniiwasan natin ang magkagulo, umatras na lang, bumalik naman sila ng pasok. Ang police nandito sa loob paano mag-uumpisa ng gulo yung police siempre ang pumasok ang nan-umpisa ng gulo.”

Gallardo admitted that a rallyist was hit by the police. “Mayroon ako nakita na napalo ng police yong umakyat sa fire truck at gusto sirain yong hose sa ibabaw ng fire truck.”

Three media photographers, who were at the top of the fire truck taking pictures ,claimed they were also hit by the police.

The chief of police also said that the policemen used water from the firetruck to disperse the rallyists, however the rallyists persisted.

Gallardo admitted that the police was overran by the rallyists and the rallyists were able to take control of the City Hall compound.

He disclosed that at about 4:00 o’clock, more supporters of Mayor Cari arrived at the City Hall compound and a near-confrontation between the opposing camps almost occurred.

The police officer said that at past 6:00 o’clock in the evening, the rallyists were dispersed by the police after negotiation.

Gallardo disclosed that the rally also resulted to the damage of a police car, an Innova car serving as the service car of the city, a fire truck, and most of the window glasses of the City Hall.

Gallardo told reporters that after the dispersal of the rallyists, the police conducted “a hot pursuit operation” for the rallyists, claiming that “the rally had no permit.”

The police officer said that his men stormed the house of Galenzoga at about 2:15 early in the morning, Monday and arrested all those who were in the Galenzoga compound with the presumption that all those who were in the compound participated in the violent rally. He added that at about 5:00 o’clock in the morning of the same day, all those in the compound, men and women, were locked up in the city and at the sub-provincial jails.

Gallardo disclosed that the arrest of the rallyists and their leaders continued and at about 10:00 o’clock in the morning there were already 720 men and women arrested by the police and were detained.