11 Quezon City cops hurt in protest dispersal at DSWD office
By Trixee Rosel
A Quezon City police personnel is given medical attention after sustaining minor injuries during the dispersal of Kadamay protesters at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City on Wednesday, April 15. (Photo courtesy of QCPD)
Eleven police officers were injured Wednesday morning, April 15, during a dispersal of protesters from the urban poor group Kadamay at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Central Office in Quezon City.
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said the incident occurred at around 9:20 a.m. at the agency’s main gate on IBP Road in Barangay Batasan Hills.
Police said the injured personnel, including a commissioned officer, sustained “mostly minor injuries such as scratches and abrasions.”
They were immediately brought to the District Medical and Dental Unit and were declared in stable condition.
The QCPD said the confrontation involved personnel from its Civil Disturbance Management Unit and members of Kadamay.
QCPD director Police Brig. Gen. Randy Glenn Silvio said authorities observed maximum tolerance in handling the situation, in line with standard protocols during public assemblies.
“We do not tolerate any form of violence during public assemblies,” Silvio said.
“While we respect the right to peaceful assembly, we urge all parties to remain orderly and cooperative to prevent injuries. Our personnel are trained to exercise maximum tolerance, and we likewise expect cooperation to maintain peace and order,” he added.