ACT readies legal move vs PNP, DILG
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2019 10:16:07 +0000
ACT-Teachers Partylist Representative Antonio Tinio (File photo/Alvin Kasiban)
ACT Teachers partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio said yesterday they would file charges against the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) before the Office of the Ombudsman over the PNP’s memorandum ordering the profiling of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT).
He said the PNP should stop its profiling, red baiting, and harassment of teachers, organizations, partylists and candidates.
“Hinihiling namin ang pagtigil nito at panawagan namin sa PNP at Malacanang na irespeto ang demokratikong karapatan ng mga guro,” Tinio told reporters in a press conference.
“ACT will be taking legal action,” he said.
He said the PNP memorandum, issued on September 25 last year, violates human rights and election laws, even as he accuses the PNP that it engages in partisan politics and is unjustly campaigning against candidates.
“Pagtuunan nila ng pansin ang mga kriminal, ang mga masasamang loob. Bakit ang mga teachers? Ano bang nilalabag na batas ng ACT. Mali bang magdemand ng mataas na sweldo sa mga teachers? What is wrong? Why is the police wasting resources on our teachers?,” Tinio said.
He noted that out of 700,000 public school teachers, 200,000 are members of ACT.
“Malinaw na ang ongoing panininiktik at tangkang panunupil sa progresibong organization ay bahagi ng mga plano at pagkilos ng security cluster ng Duterte administrasyon, lalo pa ngayon na halos one-third ng Cabinet ni Pangulong Duterte ay galing sa militar at pulis,” he said.
In a statement, the seven-man Makabayan sought the immediate hearing of House Resolution 2233 to probe the PNP memorandum supposedly for the intelligence chief of precincts on the periodic situational report on their areas of responsibility.
“The PNP memo is right smack into the Duterte administration’s concocted Red October plot last year and a violation of human rights and even election laws because candidates and groups are being tagged as communist supported,” they said.
They accused the PNP of “gauging the extent of the support of the Makabayan bloc and harassing their supporters in the run up to the elections.”
“We strongly demand that the PNP immediately withdraw this memo and its implementation,” they said.
Under House Resolution 2233, the progressive solons called on the House Committee on Human Rights to conduct a probe on the PNP memorandum profiling individuals, organizations and candidates allegedly linked to the communist movement.
They said such memo “can be used to blackmail individuals, organizations and candidates by state forces and influence the coming 2019 midterm elections.”
The Makabayan Bloc coalition in Congress is composed of Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, ACT Teachers partylist Reps. Tinio and France Castro, Gabriela Women’s Party Reps.Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Brosas, Anakpawis partylist Rep. Ariel Casilao and Kabataan partylist Rep. Sarah Elago. (Charissa M. Luci-Atienza)