PNP chief denies order to spy on ACT members

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 7, 2019): PNP chief denies order to spy on ACT members

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde on Monday denied he signed any memorandum ordering intelligence officers to visit schools and conduct an inventory of members or allies of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT).

“I will check on that. As far as I am concerned wala akong pinirmahan na ganyan (I did not sign any [memorandum] like that),” Albayalde told reporters during a press conference.

He said the ACT teachers should not be alarmed and have nothing to fear especially if they are not doing anything unlawful.

“Members of ACT have nothing to worry about if they did not do anything bad,” he added.

He said he will check the existence of the memorandum and where it came from.

"If it came from the directorate for intelligence, probably it's just an internal [memorandum]. It came from the specific directorate and remember the different directorates of the PNP they can always give out memorandum especially if it falls under their functional jurisdiction,” Albayalde said.

Meanwhile, Albayalde ordered the relief of the intelligence chief of Manila Police District’s Station 3, Quezon City Police District’s (QCPD) Station 6, and chief of the intelligence unit of Zambales pending investigation on their alleged negligence which resulted in the leakage of the such confidential document that causes “unnecessary panic” to the public.

But the PNP chief said he will be surprised if the intelligence community has not done so on ACT and other front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines and those identified with communist leader Jose Maria Sison.

"It is the duty of the state to protect its citizens and its interests against the enemies of the state and its allies or front organizations enumerated by Jose Maria Sison such as Bayan, KMU, KMP, LFS, Gabriela, ACT, Kadena, etc. Gathering intelligence will allow the state to distinguish genuine progressives from unrepentant communist terrorists out to overthrow a duly elected government through violent means; routinely extort, burn and loot assets of businesses that gave livelihood to peace-loving citizens of this country," he said.

"Now that Sison himself has identified ACT as a front organization...the burden is now upon members of ACT to dissociate themselves from this terrorist organization and denounce its infiltration, manipulation, and use of the ranks of Filipino educators," he added.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) head. Police Director Guillermo Eleazar, on the other hand, said the profiling on such organization is “perfectly legal”.

"We are repository of information...Rest assured, the NCRPO is evidence-based. Kung walang problema, walang dapat ikatakot. Wala kaming gagawin na illegal (If there's no problem there is no need to fear anything. We will not commit anything illegal),” Eleazar said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1058163