SC orders AFP, PNP to answer harassment raps by militant groups

THE Supreme Court ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to explain within 72 hours the allegation of harassment by members of various militant organizations.

In its ruling, the high court said the AFP and PNP have 72 hours to submit a return of the writ before the Court of Appeals.

The high court also ordered the appeals court to conduct a hearing to determine if there is a need to issue a temporary protection order for petitioners.

“The Court granted the writ of amparo, making it returnable within 72 hours to the Court of Appeals which shall then conduct a hearing on the propriety of issuing a temporary protection order and to decide the case on the merits,” the high court said.

Petitioners Dr. Darby Santiago, chairperson of the Health Alliance for Democracy Inc. (HEAD), Imelda Gerali, nurse and administrative officer of Samahang Operasyong Sagip, Inc. (SOS) and member of HEAD both received threatening text messages accusing them of being doctors of the New People’s Army in northern Luzon.

Some of the messages from 09394363140 include “nawala ako ng umaga saan ka dumaan? ah, tinataguan mo ako ha? Teka si Dr. busy na busy sa DOH. Kaya pala hindi dumaan sa inaabangan ng mga ka-tropa ko hehehe.”

From the same number, on July 10, Gerali received this message “hello friend busy ka kahapon kaya hindi mo ako napansin. Si Doc Darby guapon kahapon kaso late. The lady doctor was there too. Hinatid nga kita pauwi napansin mo ako?…” Then, a follow up text saying “pssst…lingon naman dyan!”

Aside from the two, other petitioners include Rebecca Abelong, National Treasurer of Allied Workers Federation-KMU; Neil Ambion, Media Liaison Officer of KMU; Renato Asa, Secretary of KMU’s PIO; Loreto Victoriano, coordinator for Manila of KMU; Josephine Carlos Betana, chair of Caloocan City chapter of Migrante and Lovely Carbon and Jessica Ferrera of the National Union of Students of the Philippines and John Paul Lapid of Kabataan Partylist.

Abelong said a man who introduced himself as a member of Guardian went to the area where she lives and asked neighbors about her while Ambion said men who introduced themselves as members of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) forced him to come with them to talk about security.

On the other hand, Asa said a man who introduced himself as member of the AFP gave him a mobile phone number and told him to accept the help they are offering or there may come a time when they won’t be able to help him.

The other respondents also said men were conducting surveillance around their house. Ferrera said the man who talked to her father even offered to help him get proper treatment if his daughter will help them.

“Taken together, the threats and surveillance activities portend a pattern: threats are made, often sent through text messages or anonymous correspondences alleging that the recipient are members of the NPA or the CPP and urging them to cooperate with the military in ambiguous terms,” the petition stated.

“Upon observing that the same pattern exists in the cases of petitioners herein, no other conclusion can be reached other than that their lives, security and liberty are under threat. It is also obvious that the modus operandi manifest in the cited incidents establishes the participation of state forces, especially that of the military and police establishments. The military and police establishments’ participation in these harassments is also an indication that these are carried out pursuant to the internal security policy of the Government, the “Oplan Bayanihan,” petitioners said.