EDSA Protest Sees Tensions Escalate, Injuring Officer and Leading to Arrests

Tensions escalated during a protest rally on EDSA, a major thoroughfare in Metro Manila, on Tuesday, June 30, resulting in one police officer injured and at least two individuals arrested. According to the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), the injured officer was caught in the back-and-forth motion of a van that had allegedly attempted to block the EDSA bus lane. A police official told Super Radyo dzBB's Mark Makalalad that the incident occurred as authorities tried to clear the bus lane, which had been occupied by rally participants. "May sugatan po tayong pulis dahil naipit po kanina sa pag-atras-abante ng van in their attempt to block the pathway ng bus lane,” the official said. (We have a police officer injured because he was caught in the back-and-forth motion of a van in their attempt to block the pathway of the bus lane.) The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) on Tuesday questioned the possible filing of plunder charges against Senator Rodante Marcoleta. INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala said they were confused why Marcoleta will be charged when he led the investigation into the flood control mess when he was the chairperson of the Senate blue ribbon committee. "Hindi tutol ang INC sa pagpapatupad ng batas pero tutol kami sa pagbaluktot sa batas. Lalo na kung ang layunin ay para pagtakpan ang katiwalian," Zabala said in a NET25 livestream. (The INC does not oppose the enforcement of the law but opposes its distortion. Especially if the goal is to cover up corruption.) Some roads and bridges leading to Malacañang were closed on Tuesday, June 30, amid rallies in Manila and along EDSA, according to dzBB reporter Manny Vargas. Vargas reported that at least two gates leading into and out of Malacañang were shut. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) to exercise "maximum tolerance" in the ongoing EDSA rally. "The DILG has directed the Philippine National Police (PNP), in close coordination with the concerned local government unit, to exercise maximum tolerance and implement appropriate security and traffic management measures to help ensure that the activity remains peaceful, orderly, and safe for all," the DILG said in a statement. President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Tuesday canceled his scheduled appearance at the presidential luncheon hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) to monitor the situation on EDSA, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO). In a message relayed to FOCAP’s Board of Trustees, Acting PCO Secretary Dave Gomez said the President would no longer attend the event. “The President is canceling his appearance at today’s Presidential Luncheon to monitor the situation on EDSA,” Gomez said. A group gathered along the EDSA People Power Monument, which resulted in heavy traffic on Tuesday morning. The groups started gathering around 2 am, according to EJ Gomez' report on Unang Balita. At 4 am, the MMDA announced on its Facebook page that approximately 500 rallyists and 30 vehicles were marching toward EDSA White Plains. At 5:15, MMDA announced that White Plains eastbound and westbound were "temporarily closed to traffic." Source: GMA News Philippines