Youth Killed, 27 Hurt in Manila Anti-Marcos Protest

MANILA — A 17-year-old youth was killed Monday in a clash between police and rock-throwing demonstrators protesting against the government of President Ferdinand E. Marcos. The official news agency said 27 people, including 12 policemen, were injured.

The noon-hour violence came as 3,000 demonstrators, mostly from farm groups, were marching away from the U.S. Embassy, where they had protested American backing for the Marcos government and low prices for their rice.

Marcos ordered an investigation of the clash, the second violent demonstration against his government in the last month. The National Assembly directed its justice and human rights committee to conduct a separate inquiry.

The demonstrators were headed for a downtown square preparatory to a planned march to the presidential palace. Rally leaders later canceled the palace march, saying they feared more violence.

Bomb Exploded

Trouble erupted when a police car drove up the intersection as the protesters were marching past, witnesses said. A homemade bomb exploded and a dozen riot policemen in a jeep moved in. As the marchers scampered, the police gave chase, swinging truncheons, witnesses said.

Protesters retaliated with rocks, and the policemen were seen firing directly at the mob advancing from two sides under red flags.

As the policemen retreated, the demonstrators vented their ire on an abandoned police car and a government-owned passenger bus, smashing their windows, as gunfire echoed down the broad avenue. Hundreds of commuters jumped from the bus and other vehicles.

A student, Emmanuel Lazo, 17, was killed by a bullet in the back of the head, according to hospital reports. Nine others suffered gunshot wounds and one of them was hospitalized in critical condition with a bullet in his brain.