PNP, Army deny profiling of unions, progressive groups

By: Jennifer P. Rendon 

BOTH the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army in Western Visayas denied the alleged “profiling” of labor unions and progressive groups in the region.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Joem Malong, spokesperson of Police Regional Office (PRO)-6, said they did not order the gathering of profiles or personal information of union or sectoral group members.

If there is a profiling, “it only involved armed members of the New People’s Army,” Malong said.

Captain Cenon Pancito III, 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) spokesperson, also reiterated the 3ID’s stand that they are only after armed NPA members.

Profiling a person means that a certain group is suspecting or targeting an individual on the basis of observed characteristics or behavior.

The issue of profiling of progressive group or union members came to light after the June 26, 2019 letter of Police Major Johnny Tumambing, police chief of Miag-ao, Iloilo, was made public.

In the letter, Tumambing asked Dr. Ricardo Babaran, the chancellor of the University of the Philippines-Visayas in Miag-ao town, for information on members of the UP Academic Employees Union-Iloilo Chapter.

“This is in reference with the mandate from the higher Headquarters directing this office to obtain information regarding the members of the UP Academic Employees Union – Iloilo Chapter. In this connection, we would like to request for your kind assistance to acquire this information we need for our reference,” the letter reads.

But Babaran declined Tumambing’s request through a letter dated July 8.

Babaran said, “inasmuch as we support the PNP in its efforts to maintain peace and order in the community, we regret to inform you that under the Data Privacy Act, the University is prohibited from disclosing personal and sensitive information about its academic employees.”

Malong said the matter has been cleared already.

Tumambing allegedly reported Wednesday morning that his intention is to get the names of the union member for police community relation (PCR) activities.

Even Tumambing’s direct superior, Police Colonel Marlon Tayaba, Iloilo police chief, said he also did not give any instruction on any profiling activities.

The PRO-6 Regional Intelligence Division said it is only after the armed NPA members.

“We don’t conduct other profiling activities. There might have been a misunderstanding on the interpretation of the message. The school, might have panicked and misinterpreted the letter and the actions of the chief of police,” Malong said.

But Tumambing asserted that the information will be used for activities that the police station planned to do.

He said there was no malice on his part, the reason why he formally wrote Babaran.

“Besides, if it’s profiling, it should have been done covertly,” Malong said.

 

STATEMENT

Following the incident, the All UP Academic Employees Union (AUPAEU)-Iloilo Chapter released a statement on July 8, 2019 in reference to “Philippine National Police (PNP)’s Harassment by Profiling.”

The statement reads, “On 25 June 2019, the Miag-ao Municipal Police Station sent a letter to UPV Chancellor Ricardo Babaran requesting to acquire information “regarding the members of All UP Academic Union-Iloilo Chapter.”

“Such a request reads malicious, spells reproachable, and conveys a ‘chilling effect’ to the REPS (researchers, extension, and professional staff) and faculty members composing the Union.”

It added that under normal circumstances, such request is unusual, odd, and bizarre as he claims arising from the “mandate from the higher headquarters.”

They also questioned the mandate and who made the letter is mute in its obscurity.

It added, “What else are these all about but the prevailing pattern of harassment, intimidation, and silencing of groups that are principled, public, and vocal on societal issues of the day. The Union seeks to be militante, progresibo, and makabayan to serve better its constituents yet this is dangerous, subversive, and inimical to the state in the eyes of the PNP hierarchy. Under current climate of impunity when profiling is weaponised, physical browbeating is normalized, and political tokhang is regularised, the Academic Union strongly denounces this harassment. The same hideous pattern was employed against members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines.”

The union said it denounced “this harassment as a sinister act that violates the citizen’s rights under the Bill of Rights, Article III of 1987 Philippine Constitution, the Republic Act No.10173 (Data Privacy Act 2012) and the legality and legitimacy of the UP Academic Union ruled by the Supreme Court (G.R. No. 96189, 14 July 1992). Such harassment clearly violates the letters and spirit of laws of our land!”

It also enjoined all the constituents of the University of the Philippines to clearly denounce this case of harassment. The Union also invites the broad publics, all people with civic consciousness, to rebuke and oppose the prevailing state terrorism.

Yesterday, the AUPAEU Iloilo held a dialogue with Babaran to discuss the implications of the letter of Miag-ao Municipal Police Station requesting for the information of AUPAEU Iloilo members.

In a statement dated July 9, Babaran said that “UP Visayas is a free space for divergent ideas where students, faculty and staff can easily gather and discuss issues all in the name of academic freedom.”

UPV, he said, is responsible for the safety of all its constituents inside the campus.

“As part of the national university, UP Visayas will always honor, protect and promote the professional rights and welfare of its academic and non-academic personnel,” Babaran said.