Cordillera Administrative Region

Lawyer slams ‘malicious, misleading’ police post on Cordillera activists

Sherwin de Vera

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Lawyer slams ‘malicious, misleading’ police post on Cordillera activists

PATTERN. The rebellion case against the seven individuals, collective called NL7, is the fourth incident since 2017 where the police or the military file charges against activists from the Cordillera en masse. The courts dismissed all earlier charges.

Sherwin de Vera

Rights watchdogs note that the National Police Commission bans posts that are libelous, trigger cyber-bullying and violate the Data Privacy Act

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Human rights lawyer Jose Molintas slammed the Police Community Affairs and Development Group (PCADG) Cordillera on Tuesday, February 21, for their “malicious and misleading” Facebook post that labeled six activists as “communist terrorist group (CTG) surrenderees.”

The police unit used CTG, jargon used by defense agencies and security forces to refer to the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

The information released by PCADG referred to six individuals who posted bail on Monday, February 20 on charges of rebellion: Northern Dispatch Ilocos correspondent Nino Oconer, Cordillera Peoples Alliance leaders Windel Bolinget, Stephen Tauli, and development workers Sarah Abellon-Alikes and Florence Kang, and peasant advocate Lourdes Jimenez. 

Baguio City police arrested activist Jennifer Awingan for the same case on January 30. She was released on bail on February 7.

In a text message, Molintas said the PCADG post presented his clients as members of the NPA when the court has yet to determine their guilt.

“Boluntaryong sumuko sa kamay ng pamahalan ang anim (6) na miyembro ng Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) sa Baguio City Hall Loop, Upper Abanao Street, Baguio City nito lamang ika-20 ng Pebrero taon kasalukuyan,” PCADG said.

(Six members of the Communist Terrorist Group voluntarily surrendered to the government at the Baguio City Hall Loop, Upper Abanao Street, Baguio City, on February 20.)

In phone interview on Wednesday, February 22 Police Regional Office Cordillera Information Officer Major Marnie Abellanida said he has not seen the post and that it was no longer available when he scanned the PCADG page.

He also explained that they did not release the information since PCADG is under the supervision of the national office. 

The post, uploaded on February 21 at 11:52 a.m., was still available at 12:30 p.m. today but no longer accessible a few minutes later.

OFFENDING POST. Part of the February 21 post by a Philippine National Police unit that referred to six activists in the Cordillera as communist terrorists. Screencap of Police Community Affairs and Development Group (PCADG) Cordillera post

A military intelligence implicated them in the October 2022 NPA ambush in Malibcong, Abra, that killed two soldiers.

The post claimed the accused are members of “communist front organizations” and on the Periodic Status Report on Threat Groups List of the police and military.

It also contained the alleged aliases, nicknames, and positions of the individuals in the Chadli Molintas Command, the NPA unit operating in the Ilocos and Cordillera regions.

The post ended by exhorting supporters of communist groups to surrender so they can live in safety and peace.

‘Remove and apologize’

The mayor of Baguio City, Benjamin Magalong, retired police general and former chief of PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management, has slammed the practice of red-tagging legal activist organizations and individuals.

In turn, he was red-tagged by the Davao City-based, self-proclaimed son of god Apollo Quiboloy and his media outfit SMNI. Quiboloy later apologized when Magalong warned that no one is above the law.

Molintas called the police post “misleading and violative of the cyberlibel law.” 

He said the police should have used the word “accused” instead of labeling them as CTG members.

Molintas, who is also a Baguio City councilor, said his clients surrendered to the court while “being wrongfully accused and innocent of the ambush of soldiers in Abra.”

“The additional allegations in the post tagging them as CTG members surrenderees is malicious,” Molintas stressed..

“If they don’t remove the post and apologize, we will have reasons to distrust the PNP and surrender with the NBI in the future,” he added.

The Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) assailed the post for being “false, malicious and outrightly irresponsible.”

“The deliberate misinformation endangers the safety and security of the individuals and the organizations they are affiliated to. It brazenly demeans due process, the rule of law and the true spirit of justice,” CHRA said.

The group also urged the police to abide by their Social Media Guide.

In May 2020, the National Police Commission issued Memorandum Circular 2020-034, directing officers and staff to ensure that posts official and personal accounts are “not libelous, trigger cyber-bullying, and do not violate the Data Privacy Act.” 

It also warned that posts should not disclose confidential information that can endanger individuals.

“Any personnel who violates any of the General Guidelines of this MC shall be shared with Less Grave Neglect of Duty. However, if the act also constitutes a violation of law, he/she shall be charged for such act,” said the document. – Rappler.com

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