MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde yesterday ordered the relief of three intelligence officers over the leak of a supposed memorandum ordering profiling and surveillance of the members of a left-leaning teachers’ group.
Sacked were the intelligence chiefs of the Manila Police District Station 3, Quezon City City Police District Station 6 and provincial intelligence branch of the Zambales police.
Albayalde said the leakage of the memo has caused fear among members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), who feel they are being intimidated by the police.
He said the intelligence officers, by the nature of their job, should have done their work discreetly.
“Anyone, when they realize they’re being profiled by the police, there is that feeling always,” the PNP chief said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Albayalde said he did not sign any document ordering intelligence officers to conduct an inventory of ACT members.
But he did not deny that the order came from a PNP unit.
“The different directorates of the PNP can always issue memorandum, especially if it falls under their jurisdiction,” he said.
Albayalde assured ACT members there is no cause for alarm if they have not committed any wrongdoing.
He said the surveillance order may have stemmed from the declaration of communist leader Jose Ma. Sison that ACT is one of their front organizations.
ACT members should not be afraid of police surveillance if they are not doing anything unlawful, Malacañang said yesterday.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said it is not the policy of the government to conduct surveillance on teachers.
“It’s the job of the PNP to monitor all groups. If you’re not doing anything wrong, why should you be afraid?” Panelo said.
“The President loves the teachers. But if you’re doing something illegal or irregular, it’s natural for the police to monitor what you are doing,” he added.
Panelo said President Duterte has vowed to promote the welfare of teachers and to increase their salaries.
The teachers’ union accused the PNP of deploying police personnel to schools to gather information about its members.
The group claimed that the PNP had issued two memoranda ordering an inventory of teachers affiliated with ACT. – Alexis Romero, Rainier Allan Ronda, Mayen Jaymalin, Ding Cervantes