“Gaya po ng sinabi ng kuya ko sa ilang reporters, totoo po na may mga nagpaalis sa amin. Pero hindi po sila taga-DSWD. Nang tanungin ko sila, sabi nila taga-DSWD sila. Sabi ko, ‘Sir, pwede po bang makita ID nyo?’, ayaw naman nila ipakita.” Domingo Sebastian, who has been staying along Maria Orosa Ave., told reporters this Wednesday, November 15.
Sebastian, 32, was referring to his older brother Dondon, who was earlier interviewed and said almost the same thing. However, he said that because Dondon was seen on camera, he was probably afraid to tell the truth because the men might get back to them and hurt them. He said his brother has a wife and two children, while he has still none.
“Nung Linggo nga po ng gabi (November 10) nangyari yun. Kasarapan ng tulog namin sa karton, bigla nila kaming ginising at tinakot na huhuliin pag di kami umalis. Narinig ko po na sabi nung isa, ‘Pre, ibigay mo na yung pinabibigay sa kanila para matapos na agad.” Sebastian added, saying that the other man gave them P100 each, a total of P400.
According to Sebastian, he accidentally saw the ID on the man’s wallet while the latter was getting money. He said he saw the words ‘Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)’ printed on the ID. The street dweller emphasized that he is very sure of what he saw because he always sees it in banners every time there is a rally in Manila, especially near the US Embassy.
Meanwhile, DSWD officer-in-charge Emmanuel Leyco categorically denied that they ordered street dwellers to hide during the ASEAN Summit. “DSWD's programs for street dwellers may be inadequate to cover everybody but we will never order them to hide. Instead, we will continue to find ways to enhance our programs," he said.
Contributed by Renato Pasayao
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