Rights group calls on PNP chief to check ‘discriminatory’ police activities

MANILA, Philippines — A human rights group on Friday called on Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Archie Gamboa to look into police activities that are “obviously discriminatory in nature.”

Amnesty International Philippines took note of Makati police’s round-up operations targeting transwomen as well as the National Capital Region Police Office’s (NCRPO) profiling of Muslim students.

“Profiling entire communities solely on the basis of a single identity – whether based on gender, race or religion – supposedly in the name of curbing crime only fuels hate towards particular groups of people and intensifies fear of the police,” the group said in a statement.

The two operations, Amnesty International said, “leave too many holes where peoples’ rights may be violated without sufficient accountability.”

The group also called the operations as a “lazy way” to prevent crime and only discriminates communities simply based on the “criminal actions of a few.”

“It is imperative for the chief PNP to ensure that his officers are held to the highest human rights standards for law enforcement, and to look into police activities that are obviously discriminatory in nature and only serve to instigate transphobia and Islamophobia,” the group said.

Makati police chief Col. Rogelio Simon said “Oplan X-Men” was aimed at rescuing victims of human trafficking, which they have been conducting as early as October last year.

Simon, however, clarified that the operations are not targeted towards the LGBTQIA+ community.

Meanwhile, Police Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said that the memorandum  issued by the Manila Police District (MPD), which ordered all its station commanders to “submit the updated list of Muslim students in high school, colleges and universities in your respective areas of responsibility”, was not meant for profiling.

Sinas said the information gathered would be used by the Salaam Police Center (SPC) “to conduct interventions and programs in strengthening Salaam Police in partnership with the community.”

The SPC was established in 2008 and is tasked to “undertake close monitoring, networking and liaising activities with Muslim communities in addressing terrorism and lawless violence in their respective areas to ensure respect of cultural diversity and cooperation.”

“We firmly believe that one’s religion should never hinder us in pursuit [of] lasting peace and harmony thus, PNP through the DPCR (Directorate for Police Community Relations ) includes SPC as one of its top [priorities],” Sinas said.