All minors arrested in riot at Mendiola freed–MPD
The police have released all of the minors who were arrested after violence broke out following the Sept. 21 anticorruption rally in Mendiola, Manila Police District (MPD) spokesperson Maj. Philipp Ines told the Inquirer on Tuesday.
“We don’t have any more minors in custody since Sept. 24,” Ines said in a Viber message. “What we have [detainees] are those of legal age who have not yet posted bail.”
Ines added that he was still waiting for an update on the number of remaining detainees so far.
In a separate statement, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) reported that 91 minors were initially processed by the Women and Children Protection Center of the Philippine National Police and the Department of Social Welfare and Development before they were transferred to the Manila Social Welfare Office.
Of the 91, 68 were later released to their parents, while the rest were either sent to their respective local government units or a youth facility.
While acknowledging the Manila government’s efforts to uphold children’s rights by focusing on rehabilitation rather than punishment, the CHR stressed the public’s right to peaceful assembly. But it also denounced acts of violence and destruction of property.
The Sept. 21 protests saw huge gatherings across the country, particularly in Metro Manila, with attendees denouncing corruption surrounding billions of pesos worth of flood control projects.
Outbreak of violence
While demonstrations at Luneta and Edsa remained peaceful, riots broke out in Manila, particularly in Ayala Bridge, Recto and Mendiola as a group of men set fire to a trailer, streetlights and other public property. They also threw rocks and Molotov bombs at police. Over 200 individuals, including minors, were detained afterward.
In a statement released on Sept. 29, the MPD, meanwhile, denied allegations of keeping detainees in appalling conditions.
