Palace allays fears on PNP ‘profiling’ ACT teachers

“If you’re not doing anything, why should you be afraid? If you’re not doing anything, wala namang mangyayari eh (nothing will happen),” Panelo said in a Palace briefing. (File Photo: Office of the Presidential Spokesperson/Facebook)

MANILA — Teachers who are members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) have nothing to fear about being profiled if they are not doing anything illegal, Malacañang said Monday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo was reacting to reports that the Philippine National Police (PNP) has called for an inventory of all public and private school teachers “who are members of or aligned with” ACT.

“If you’re not doing anything, why should you be afraid? If you’re not doing anything, wala namang mangyayari eh (nothing will happen),” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

Panelo echoed the PNP’s remark, noting that the agency has already denied the profiling of teachers but at the same time stressed that ACT has long been identified with the left.

“Unang-una, tinanggi na nila iyon. Siguro ang nakikita ko diyan baka iyong pino-profile o mino-monitor iyong mga nakikita ng PNP na maling ginagawa nila (Firstly, the PNP has already denied that. Maybe the teachers being profiled or monitored are teachers who the PNP have suspected are doing something illegal),” Panelo said.

“Kasi tandaan ninyo iyong ACT is a legal organization na-identified sa kaliwa and sinabi na ng PNP at ng Presidente na may mga legal fronts(Because, if you remember, ACT is a legal organization identified with the left and the PNP and the President has also mentioned that they have legal fronts),” he added.

Panelo stressed that it is definitely not the policy of the PNP to surveil teachers but defended the PNP can monitor any conspiracies to commit rebellion.

“Definitely yung policy is not to surveil teachers. Mahal ni Presidente ang mga teachers. Pero if you’re doing something illegal or irregular, natural lang na trabaho ng pulis yun na i-monitor yung ginagawa mo. Kung may nagrereklamo for intelligence for instance nakatanggap ka ng report (Definitely the policy is not to surveil teachers. The President loves teachers. But if you’re doing something illegal or irregular, it is natural for the police to monitor what you’re doing. Especially if they received intelligence reports),” Panelo said.

He said if it is true that the PNP is profiling teachers, he believed that it was only profiling the “hardcore leaders” who gave police a reason to surveil them.

“Kung halimba may nag-report sayo na itong isang teacher na ito nakitang nakikipag ugnayan sa mga identified NPA or pinagduduhdahan na NPA, kung ikaw ba ay pulis, di mo imo-monitor yung gawa nila (For example, if somebody reported a teacher seen coordinating with identified NPA or suspected NPA, if you were a policeman, wouldn’t you monitor what they’re doing)? Panelo said.

Panelo, meanwhile, said President Rodrigo R. Duterte has always considered the welfare of teachers since his late mother was a teacher herself.

“Ang Nanay ni Presidente ay teacher din so malapit sa kanya mga teachers (The President’s mother is also a teacher that’s why teachers are close to his heart),” Panelo said.