Police use sonic weapon in anti-Trump rally
C.J. Palpal-latoc
Police forces used a sound cannon to disperse protesters during the anti-Trump rally held on Monday of the 31st ASEAN Summit.
Philippine National Police (PNP) officials employed a de facto sonic weapon called the Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) that could potentially cause permanent loss of hearing.
Developed by US-based LRAD Corporation, the acoustic weapon can emit loud, high-pitched sound waves. The PNP allegedly used an LRAD 1950 XL model which can produce sound reaching 160 decibels. Sound reaching 85 decibels could already cause permanent damage to hearing.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Secretary General Renato Reyes Jr. slammed the PNP’s use of LRAD, saying it was “a serious assault” as it could harm not just protesters but also bystanders and the police themselves.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Oscar Albayalde defended the use of LRAD. Albayalde maintained that the LRAD was “not fatal” and “wala pong harmful effect,” contradicting his statement in a radio interview where the director said that the LRAD is “nakakasira ng pandinig.”
This is the first time that a sound cannon has been used by the PNP. Reyes posits that the LRAD might have come from the US, where it was first used against protesters in the 2009 G20 Summit.
With reports from Nyrene Paranga
