MANILA, Philippines — The chief of the national police said that Sunday's seizure of newspaper copies and subsequent arrest of a community leader in Pandi, Bulacan was not a prelude to the controversial Anti-Terror Law as expressed by many over social media.
On Sunday, a leader of urban poor alliance Kadamay, Rose Fortaleza, was arrested without a warrant, while copies of alternative newspaper Pinoy Weekly were seized by Bulacan police for being subversive materials.
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READ: Bulacan cops arrest community leader, confiscate 'subversive' newspapers
In his press briefing Monday, Police Gen. Archie Gamboa, PNP chief, said that Police Brig. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia, PRO-3 regional director told him that the materials were burnt the day before by a person who was also arrested for violating quarantine protocols.
"If there are people who agree with what they're saying that they were raided, etcetera, then let them file the necessary and appropriate action," Gamboa said.
"I suggest filing it with the Internal Affairs Service here at the national headquarters so that we can deal with it squarely," he added.
According to Gamboa, the regional director said in a phone call with him that it only just so happened that the police were only photographed taking the materials that were voluntarily surrendered, which only served to fuel the narrative that they were raided.
This comes despite Kadamay issuing a statement condemning the raid, saying that police visited Fortaleza's home and searched for the papers without a warrant.
Of the sentiment that the confiscation was a prelude to the Anti-Terror Law, which still has no implementing rules and regulations, Gamboa said that subversive documents no longer exist in the wake of the repealing of Republic Act No. 1700.
"That [law]] cannot still be used as of now because there is no implementing rules and regulations. As of now, we cannot use it...Other people will correlate this with the Anti-Terrorism Act...but up to now, we in the PNP are not yet aware of the provisions that are self-executing,"
"Prelude? Hindi naman siguro (Probably not)."