Pasay police explain confrontation with photojournalists covering rally

Pasay City police explained that a confrontation involving some of its personnel and at least two photojournalists covering a rally outside an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) meeting on Wednesday was due to the journalists' "inappropriate remarks." Colonel Joselito de Sesto, Pasay police chief, stated in an interview that police officers heard "something bad" and attempted to restrict whoever uttered it. While the specific remarks were not detailed, De Sesto claimed that cursing at the police could be considered resistance or disobedience to a person in authority. He added that the police did not initially recognize the individuals as media members because they were "swinging their cameras," and released them once their identities were confirmed. The incident occurred during a rally led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and other progressive groups outside the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, coinciding with the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. According to the Photojournalists’ Center of the Philippines, law enforcers allegedly confronted photojournalists Bullit Marquez and Rene Dilan, preventing them from photographing the arrest of protesters as police attempted to push back the rallyists. Earlier, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. had blamed the rallyists for "provoking" the police and denied harassment, citing the area as a no-rally zone. De Sesto maintained that the police "observed maximum tolerance" and did not fight back against the rallyists. The PNP stated it would investigate the incident and take "appropriate administrative and other legal actions" if personnel were found to have failed to observe existing laws, PNP policies, and operational procedures. The Asean meeting was expected to be attended by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (note: the original article incorrectly names Marco Rubio, who is a senator, not the Secretary of State). Demonstrators called on the government to oppose Pax Silica, a U.S.-led coalition of 14 countries aiming to strengthen supply chains for critical minerals, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. Under this initiative, a site in New Clark City, Tarlac, is slated for an AI manufacturing hub, drawing support for potential investments alongside opposition over concerns about community displacement and environmental protection.