PNP mulls filing raps to revoke license of teachers backing rebels

PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde said Monday, March 4, that they might recommend to the Professional Regulatory Commission the revocation of licenses of teachers who will be proven to have been supporting the communist group.

Albayalde made the statement as the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) filed Monday before the Court of Appeals (CA) a motion for reconsideration in its petition earlier junked by the CA that questions the constitutionality of the "profiling" being conducted by the PNP against its members.

"Again dinismiss na po nung korte yan. I don't know kung entertain pa yan. I think these are all although karapatan naman nila yan. Karapatan din namin mag-file ng kaso sa kanila if we will be able to get sabi ko nga physical evidence on their participation sa rebellion. We will not hesitate to file a case against them and we will not hesitate to file pag-revoke ng licenses ng mga yan," said Albayalde.

He added that the PNP is already in the process of getting physical evidence against ACT.

"Kung mapatunayan namin, we will not hesitate to file a case against them also... Remember your license is not a right. It's a privilege given to you by the state. It can always be revoked by the state if you abuse your profession," he said.

But Albayalde said there is no longer profiling of members of ACT, noting that it was a mere part of intelligence effort for national security after ACT was tagged by Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Mari Sison as one of their legal fronts.

Earlier, the ACT, represented by its national chairperson Joselyn Martinez and its secretary-general Raymond Basilio, together with ACT National Capital Region Union, Manila Public School Teachers Association and ACT Region III Union filed a petition for prohibition against a PNP memorandum that orders policemen to conduct profiling and intelligence gathering of ACT members.

It said the PNP's order has caused fear among the ACT members.

In a resolution of the petition issued on February 4, however, CA Associate Justices Ricardo Rosario, Nina Antonio-Valenzuela and Perpetua Atal-Pano cited the petitioners' failure to include one of the main requirement, which is the certified true copies of the PNP memorandum that was allegedly issued by police intelligence units.

"The petition shall likewise be accompanied by a certified true copy of the judgment, order or resolution subject thereof, copies of all

pleadings and documents relevant and pertinent thereto," the petition read.

The court also said the ACT failed to state material dates in its petition, specifically the dates when the petitioners received the various assailed PNP memoranda.

It said it also did not include the "current date of issuance of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Membership Number of the petitioners' counsel" and "the current date of issuance of the Professional Tax Number of the petitioners' counsel" in violation to Bar Matter Number 287 dated September 26, 2000 and Bar Matter Number 1132 dated November 12, 2002, respectively.

During the filing of the motion for reconsideration, the ACT said it has requested for the necessary documents to strengthen its petition but the PNP refused to respond. (SunStar Philippines)