House probe sought into UP professor's arrest on campus by undercover cops
MANILA, Philippines — Members of the House of Representatives have filed a resolution for an investigation into the arrest of a UP professor by police officers disguised as personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development last week.
The Philippine National Police has defended the arrest, which happened in the UP Diliman campus despite an agreement for police operations to be coordinated with university officials, and told the UP community not to "overstretch the issue."
The Makabayan bloc filed House Resolution 774 on Tuesday urging the House human rights committee to investigate the "illegal arrest and other human rights violations" committed by the arresting officers against Melania Flores, a faculty member at the UP Departamento ng Filipino at Panitika. Flores has also been president of one of UP's employee unions.
"There are numerous shortcuts, omissions, lapses, and blatant disregard for procedures in this illegal arrest, all of which are violations not just of the PNP’s own Operations Manual and rules, but also of various Philippine and international laws," read the resolution filed by Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers Party-list), Raoul Manuel (Kabataan Party-list) and Arlene Brosas (Gabriela Women’s Party).
RELATED: PNP defends arrest of UP professor
Cops posing as DSWD social workers
Police officers who introduced themselves as employees of the Department of Social Welfare and Development arrested Flores on campus on February 6 over a case of her alleged non-remittance of a former house-help’s government contributions as required under the Social Security Act.
Based on the House Resolution and a news update from alternative news network Altermidya, Flores was not informed of the charges against her when she was taken to Camp Karingal in Quezon City. Flores and her paralegals only saw a copy of the complaint after her arrest, according to the resolution.
"The right of Dr. Flores to due process under the 1987 Constitution, the Rules of Court, and various laws and jurisprudence was violated, as she had no idea at all that there was a case against her before she saw the warrant," the resolution read.
The resolution also pointed out that the case against Flores was "filed and proceeded on a preliminary investigation in 2021 without her participation."
In a news conference after her arrest, Flores said the issues with SSS had been settled and that the househelp involved in the case had not worked for her for years.
RELATED: Azurin: No violation of UP-DILG accord
‘Shameless deception’
The progressive lawmakers also urged the House to condemn Flores' arrest, which it described as a form of "shameless deception" when cops in plainclothes went into her home without identifying themselves as members of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
"This, despite the mandate under the Operational Manual and other pertinent PNP regulations for all officers to effect arrests using marked police vehicles and wearing the prescribed uniform or attire, among others," the resolution read.
The Makabayan lawmakers argued that such lapses in the conduct of police operations are "clear grounds for civil, criminal, and administrative liabilities" of the arresting officers.
They said summonses for Flores may have been deliberately sent to the wrong addresses, depriving her of the right to answer the allegations during preliminary investigation. They said that the complaint and subpoena should have been sent to her, especially since the plainclothes police officers managed to find her house to arrest her.
Flores' stint as former president of the All UP Academic Employees Union could have invited the police to implement "dirty tactics (meant to) intimidate and harass leader-unionists and patriotic academic leaders," according to the union.
The Makabayan lawmakers called on the lower chamber to pass measures that would "exact accountability from those culpable in the law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies, thereby ensuring that no and that the human rights of all citizens are adequately protected."
UP Diliman Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo has scored the police for their "brazen disregard" of the UP-DILG agreement, which bars the conduct of police operations on campus without prior notice.
The filing of the resolution coincided with the public order and safety commission’s discussion of a refiled bill that would require police personnel to wear their uniform when making arrests.
Authored by Rufus Rodriguez, House Bill 5364 and its older versions have failed to move past the committee level since the first bill was filed in 2007.
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