Police attacks against teachers continue—ACT

A year after the public uproar that stemmed from the Philippine National Police’s surveillance of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), the group of public educators said the police had not stopped the “harassment, threats and intimidation.”

In a teachers’ seminar it organized in Baguio City, ACT said the catering service contracted for the event was repeatedly approached by police officers and peppered with questions about the group, which the PNP has accused of being a front of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

“The PNP should be reminded they have no right to intrude, harass and monitor teachers’ activities,” ACT said in a statement over the weekend. “ACT reiterates its call for the government to stop harassing ACT members and leaders and respect and uphold their right to organization.”

The group, composed of about 200,000 public school teachers, has chapters in every region and is the country’s largest teachers’ union. In Metro Manila, it is the government-accredited negotiating body for teachers.

It said staff from the catering service reported being approached during the seminar on Friday by an official who introduced himself as a police officer from Baguio City’s Police Station 3. They were allegedly asked if they would allow the police to be placed “in charge” of the catering.

The crew was again approached on Saturday by the police, who asked if ACT was planning to conduct demonstrations. The group said it also received reports that “state agents are consistently roaming the vicinity for surveillance.” INQ