Remonde booed at Mendiola rally

(Updated 4 p.m.) Press Secretary Cerge Remonde received loud boos from protesters Monday as he tried to reassure them that the government is working to bring justice to victims of last week’s Maguindanao massacre. One protester even tried to throw a punch at Remonde but was blocked by a member of the National Press Club (NPC), said NPC president Benny Antiporda who was at the rally site. "This is a peaceful rally. Huwag tayong magpakadahas," Antiporda recalled NPC treasurer Amor Virata as telling the unnamed protester. Remonde went to Mendiola Bridge to reach out to the journalists and other militant groups who were camped out there to protest the culture of impunity that they blamed for last week’s massacre. "The government will do everything to give justice for all," Remonde, clad in a black shirt and wearing a black armband, addressed the crowd gathered at Mendiola Bridge. Just as Remonde was talking, the protesters started booing him. A television report said some of the protesters even threw crumpled papers at him. It was not clear, however, if those who booed Remonde included members of the media who were at Mendiola Bridge. Among the protesters were members of Bayan, Anak-Pawis, Gabriela, League of Filipino Students and the College Editors Guild of the Philippines, Antiporda said. Antiporda told GMANews.TV that he was saddened by the development. "Kailangan kampi kampi muna (We should be allies first.) If there are members of the media who booed [Secretary Remonde], we should remember that we still consider him as member of the media by being the chairman emeritus of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP)." A report by dzBB radio’s Tuesday Niu said Remonde brushed off the rude treatment, saying he understands the sentiments of the protesters. "It's OK. I went there because they said they will march to Malacañang to bring their sentiments to the President on the massacre....if that's what they did, not all of them did it, we did what was right. Those who did something wrong, sa Diyos na sila managot," Remonde later told reporters. He added that he went to the area against the advice of Antiporda. Although regretful of what transpired, Antiporda said he cannot blame some of the protesters for acting that way. "They’re crying for justice. Di ko sila sisisihin dahil, this act is really so barbaric, kailangan maipakita na galit na galit tayo."
The protesters carried a dummy of a black coffin symbolizing the victims of last week’s Maguindanao massacre. They also brought with them a black cloth with the names of the journalists killed in the incident. Some of the protesters lay on ground in a reenactment of the massacre. At least 30 journalists were among at least 57 people killed in last week’s massacre. "Buong mundo nagpapakita ng damdamin sa pangyayaring ito, wala silang kalaban laban, wala silang armas. Kailangan natin ng hustisya (The whole world has shown its disgust over what happened. The media workers killed in the massacre were not armed. We call for justice)," Antiporda said. Rolls of barbed wire kept the media groups from going beyond the bridge. Many of the journalists wore T-shirts with the message “Stop killing Journalists!" - with Carmela Lapena/RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV