MANILA, Philippines — The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) on Monday asked the Court of Appeals (CA) to rule on their petition against the Philippine National Police (PNP) for it alleged “profiling” of their members based on the merits and not on technicalities.
In asking the CA Eleventh Division to reconsider its dismissal of their petition to stop the profiling, the ACT said it was “virtually impossible” for them to produce the PNP order because authorities wanted to keep it confidential.
The PNP “could not be reasonably expected to produce the memoranda which are damning to them,” said the ACT, adding that PNP personnel suspected of leaking the memoranda have been castigated by their members.
The ACT asked the court instead to take judicial notice of “numerous news reports” on the admission of PNP officials that a confidential order had been issued to identify and gather information on ACT members.
It said the CA could take judicial notice the same way the Supreme Court used Inquirer news articles when it upheld former President Joseph Estrada’s ouster in the so-called second People Power in 2001. /atm