Paredes: No permit? Go rally!

I'm glad at least the Commission on Human Rights is speaking out against Arroyo's "No permit, no rally" policy. From Ducky Paredes:

On the radio yesterday, I heard both Commissioner Wilhelm Soriano and the Chairwoman of the Commission on Human Rights Commission (CHR) herself Purificacion Quisumbing in separate interviews.

They both say the same thing: The "no permit, no rally" rule violates the citizens’ human rights! This CHR stand is based on the law and on Supreme Court decisions. If this is the case, what does that make of our police that keep referring to the "no permit, no rally" rule as if it were writ in stone when, obviously, this is not even written anywhere and is even wrong – according to the government institution that is the authority on these things!

The clarification is that while one does not need a permit for the rally, one may need a permit to use a public venue. Thus, the public assembly is guaranteed by the constitution but the use of a public venue may need a permit, which is given by the local government at its discretion.

This is in Batasang Pambansa 880 which, strangely was a law passed during the martial law regime. Clearly, the dictator that we love to hate was more cognizant and more respectful of our civil and human rights than Gloria Arroyo shows herself to be.

At any rate, the CHR officials were asked whether if one did not have a permit to use, say, the streets around the Mabuhay Rotonda in Quezon City, does that mean that one cannot go on with the rally?

The answer, apparently is no, one can still gather at the Welcome Rotonda.

Really?

Yes, said Commissioner Soriano. "Puwede kang mag-rally kahit saan na walang permit pero kung gagamit halimbawa yung public assembly magkakaroon sa Luneta, kailangan ipapaalam mo ‘yan sa local government unit."

So, if one wants to go to the streets, does one need a permit?

"Hindi na po kasi daanan ng tao ‘yan. Hindi po ‘yan isang venue na talaga pong nagkakaroon ng programa.

Read the Whole Article.

And when even pro-Arroyo guys like Fidel Ramos criticize Malacanang's policy of "no permit, no rally," then you know na maling-mali talaga ang Arroyo admin sa isyung ito.

The Commission on Human Rights scored the “no permit, no rally” policy as unconstitutional.

Human Rights Commissioner Wilhelm Soriano said demonstrators can protest in Mendiola even without permits, because that street is not considered a public venue.

Leftist groups and personalities such as former President Fidel V. Ramos criticized the Malacañang’s move to limit rallies and called it a curtailment of freedom of expression.