Raps filed vs Manibela members
THE Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said charges have been filed against members of the Manibela Group for their alleged disruptive behavior during the recent two-day transport strike in Quezon City.
The Manibela Group organized a protest rally on April 15 and 16, 2024, opposing the government’s PUV phase-out program. However, the rally caused grave public inconvenience and disturbance.
Led by Mario Valbuena, the Manibela Group mobilized more or less 70 PUJs and approximately 600 participants who obstructed major thoroughfares such as Commonwealth Avenue, East Avenue, and Quezon Avenue. Despite multiple attempts by the QCPD to engage in dialogue, the group’s leaders, including Valbuena, allegedly ignored directives to relocate their protest to a freedom park.
Moreover, the Manibela Group failed to secure a permit from the Quezon City local government, violating the law for public assembly. Their actions disrupted traffic flow, inconveniencing commuters and plunging the streets into chaos.
The identified plate numbers of PUJs that obstructed the main thoroughfares during the protest have been promptly turned over to the LTFRB and LTO for appropriate administrative actions.
In response, the QCPD filed charges against the Manibela Group, including three counts of Violation of B.P. 880 (Public Assembly Act of 1985), Violation of Article 155 of the Revised Penal Code (Alarm and Scandal), Violation of Article 151 of the RPC (Resistance and Disobedience), and Direct Assault Upon an Agent of Person in Authority.
