(Eagle News) — The Alliance of Concerned Teachers and its other affiliate groups has asked the Court of Appeals to stop what it said was the implementation of Philippine National Police memoranda directing the police to “conduct an inventory of all public and private school teachers” who are aligned with their organizations.
In seeking for a temporary restraining order and/or writ of preliminary injunction, the ACT, represented by its national chair Joselyn Martinez, the ACT National Capital Region Union, the Manila Public School Teachers Association and the ACT Region III Union argued the “memoranda” were “patently illegal for being contrary to law, the 1987 Constitution and existing jurisprudence..”
They also argued the “memoranda” were “made with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction and (were) therefore void.”
They added the “memoranda” constitute “wanton and flagrant violations” of their “fundamental right to freedom of expression,” of their right to “self-organization,” and of the Data Privacy Act.
“Although issued on different dates by various units of the PNP, the foregoing memoranda were all marked ‘for priority action/for strict compliance’ and contain identically worded directives for the surveying of ACT members,” the groups said.
PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde denied he had issued an order to profile the groups, adding that if there was intelligence gathering, this was only part of the regular work of a policeman.
