Sen. Nancy Binay attends a public hearing Tuesday, February 18, 2020. (Albert Calvelo/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Nancy Binay on Wednesday called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) to end all kinds of profiling targeting specific individuals or groups based on appearance, political beliefs, religion, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation.
She issued the call for a “standing policy banning operations with a gender or political bias” after a transgender woman was reported to have been “profiled” by Makati cops under “Oplan X-Men.”
READ: ‘Oplan X-Men’ of the Makati police angers LGBTQI community
The senator said that police profiling “borders on grave abuse” as even innocent law-abiding citizens have been wrongly arrested or accused of crimes.
“Pipilitin kang sumama sa presinto at kukunin ang personal na impormasyon mo na wala namang malinaw o legal na dahilan. Bakit, may kaso ba? May complaint ba? May krimen bang nagawa? Warrantless arrest ba ito?” she said in a statement.
(Cops would ask you to come to their police station and get your personal information without clear and legal reasons. Why? Do you have a case? Is there a complaint? Did you commit a crime? Is this a warrantless arrest?)
“Dahil sa mali-maling profiling, people’s rights have been trampled. Sana huwag nang pamarisan pa ang pangyayaring ito ng ibang local police,” Binay added.
(Because of wrong profiling, people’s rights have been trampled. I hope other local police don’t follow suit.)
She also questioned the wisdom of gender profiling, red- or prostitute-tagging and the propriety of arresting people on the basis of observed characteristics or behavior.
“Nakakatakot itong life-endangering allegations, at hindi biro ‘yung bigla ka na lang huhulihin dahil trans ka o nakita kang kasama sa political rally, o gay pride march. Police should be accountable for abusive practices. Profiling and bias must stop,” Binay said.
(The life-endangering allegations are scary and the fact that they could arrest you because you’re trans or you’re seen to be participating in a political rally or gay pride march is no joke.)
The PNP and other law enforcement agencies should also have a “clear and enforceable policy” ending bigotry, particularly institutionalized homophobia and transphobia, in their organizations, the senator said.
She suggested that cops undergo intensified and regular gender awareness and sensitivity training to avoid further malicious and unsubstantiated arrests.
“Naiintindihan natin na kailangan gawin ng mga pulis natin ang trabaho nila. Pero sana sa pagsagawa nila sa responsibilidad na ito, laging manaig ang pag-respeto sa karapatang pantao,” Binay pointed out.
(We understand that the police have to do their jobs. But we hope that they accomplish it while respecting human rights.)
Makati City police chief Rogelio Simon earlier said that while the profiling operations are not wrong per se, the two cops involved in the incident wrongfully implemented the operation involving the transgender woman.
Thus, he has ordered the relief of the two cops.
Simon also explained that the operations did not specifically target members of the LGBTQIA+ community but is generally aimed to curb human trafficking operations in the area.
READ: 2 cops who ‘profiled’ transwoman in Makati sacked
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas earlier said that the agency will continue its profiling operations as this was the directive of the PNP chief.
For his part, PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said that he saw nothing wrong with the Makati cops’ invitation to a transgender woman for profiling purposes.
He explained that such police action is okay as long as the subject person for profiling would agree to it and would not be forced to do so.
Gamboa pointed out that civilians can deny a police officer’s invitation for profiling.
READ: PNP chief: Police profiling no different from firms asking for personal data