MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has denied that it is “in the business of red-tagging and profiling” amid criticism on the alleged intelligence operation against members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) party-list.
Despite the denial, PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Bernard Banac maintained that intelligence operation is part of their job but this was “blown out of proportion.”
Banac, in an interview with “The Chiefs” on Cignal TV’s One News, said the information gathering, where policemen went to schools and asked principals to identify members of ACT, was done in the performance of duty.
He said there were no rights, whether of students or teachers, that were violated.
Banac added that the information the PNP gathered was like that provided voluntarily by individuals who applied for licenses from the government.
The memo on the intelligence operation leaked, leading to the dismissal of three intelligence officers from Manila, Quezon City and Zambales.
“The allegation that the PNP is having a crackdown on members of ACT, teachers and students, is devoid of basis and absolutely has no evidence. What happened was there was a leak of information but inherent to the function of the PNP is to gather information,” Banac said.
Banac admitted that the intelligence operation was prompted by an unverified social media post that supposedly tagged the ACT as a legal front of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
“We know that the leadership made statements stating the different organizations that serve as fronts of the (communists). Having heard that in public, of course… inherent to their function, would like to know how true the claim is. You cannot take that away from the police and government,” Banac added.
He explained that they are keeping their eye on groups that “have bearing on peace and order, terrorism and criminality.”
“We understand the concern and apprehension. We are taking this opportunity to categorically state that the PNP has not and will never ever order a crackdown or profiling of groups critical of; the government and specifically go after their teachers and students,” the police official added.
ACT national chairman Benjamin Valbuena said they may file more charges against the police as they have also petitioned the Court of Appeals for an injunction to stop the PNP from its alleged profiling.
Meanwhile, Akbayan spokesman Gio Tingson maintained that the intelligence operation has created fear in what was supposed to be the safe spaces of schools.