Palace says it’s not gov’t policy to monitor teachers

January 7, 2019

Malacanang said on Monday it is not the policy of the government to conduct surveillance against members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT).

This was after ACT condemned the alleged move by the Philippine National Police  (PNP)  profiling its members from public and private schools.

"Definitely the policy is not to surveille teachers. The President (Rodrigo Duterte) loves the teachers," said Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo in a press briefing.

But he said if there is any ACT member who is doing illegal or irregular, it is but natural for the police to monitor his or her activities.

Panelo also acknowledged while ACT is a legal organization, it is identified with the left.

"If you're not doing anything, why should you be afraid?" Panelo said.

He added if the police have been monitoring ACT members, they could only be one or two. "Maybe the hardcore leaders," he said.

There was an alleged PNP memorandum, ordering all concerned to submit a list of all ACT members in every school.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers said it is seriously mulling to seek legal remedies in court to stop ongoing and impending police harassment, surveillance, discrimination, and invasion of privacy of members of and aligned with the ACT.

"Unless the police immediately withdraw such illegal, unconstitutional and invasive intelligence directive, all those who appear to be complicity will be held legally accountable," NUPL said. Celerina Monte/DMS