No ”red-tagging” in the NCRPO: Sinas

November 8, 2019

Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas on Friday said their is "no red-tagging" in the National Capital Region Police Office ( NCRPO).

"There is no action (against militant groups)... if you will mention about the raid conducted by MPD (Manila Police District) it's for violation for loose firearms. We don't say you target those house (with alleged militant leaders). So we don't have target on specific organization" said the acting NCRPO director.

"I don't know if there is red-tagging or what is red-tagging because the NCRPO is not doing that. We don't say red-tagging," he said.

Sinas made the statement after IBON Foundation claimed a police officer called their office last Thursday, saying they will conduct an ocular inspection.

The group expressed alarm but according to Sinas the inspection is "not true".

"It's not true and (the information is) negative for us. We call all our district directors if they have such operation and there is none," Sinas said in a press briefing.

He added they contacted Police Col. Joaquin Alva, who allegedly called the IBON Foundation.

"He is not in the NCRPO anymore. He denied there is such operations. Maybe someone was just using (his) name," Sinas said.

"As of now, I can say there is no operation being conducted against them," he added.

For those groups who placed tarpaulins in their offices, Sinas said they can express their opinions.

"We cannot do anything about it, maybe they are just imagining things," he said.

The acting NCRPO chief even joked on the claims of militant groups about planting of evidence.

"If you plant firearms and explosives, it will not grow. Second, we don't do planting because we were taught to be a policemen. Third, if they place something like that (tarpaulin), it's up to them," Sinas said.

"But if we have evidence that there are illegal items there, we will raid them but when you say you don't have it, we don't take it," he added.

Militant groups are crying foul after the arrest of around 50 members of different organizations in Bacolod and Manila last week.

Karapatan human rights group called the arrest illegal but the Philippine National Police insisted all operations were legal. Ella Dionisio/DMS