NCRPO chief Sinas: No malice vs. LGBT community, but ‘profiling’ will continue

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Police Major General Debold Sinas on Tuesday insisted that there is no malice behind the "profiling" of transgender women by Makati City police, and that the practice will continue.

Even though this activity focuses on members of the LGBT community, Sinas said that the police are not targeting them.

"We will abide with the directive of the chief PNP. Wala po kaming kuwan doon... malice. Ito talaga ay ginawa ng Makati to at least determine, at least malaman natin sino ang involved sa crimes at probable targets," Sinas said at a press briefing in Kamuning Police Station 10.

"Wala po kaming malice against the LGBTQI community. Kung mayroon man ay humingi po kami ng pangunawa at maybe as long as we don't violate some of them, hindi namin babaguhin muna ang operations," he added.

According to an earlier report on GMA's 24 Oras by Marisol Andurahman, Makati police have for weeks been "inviting" transgender persons they come across during their rounds to the station to be "profiled." 

GMA News Online is trying to ascertain from police officials what this profiling entails.

The NCRPO chief, who is scheduled to talk to Makati City police chief Police Colonel Rogelio Simon about the matter, said he would task the Makati City police to observe sensitivity in their operations.

'Harassment'

PNP chief Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa earlier said that people who are approached by police officers for profiling can refuse the "invitation."

The Commission on Human Rights said, however, that this profiling by the police is another example of the "violence and harassment" experienced by members of the LGBTQI community every day.

"[O]ne of our best defenses against human rights violations is knowing our rights and understanding that laws and its enforcement should work to protect our freedoms—not curtail them," the CHR added in its statement.

According to the 24 Oras report, a trans woman accused two Makati policemen of inviting her to the station on account of her being transgender.

A video included in the report shows two cops arguing with one Anne Pelos to come with them. When Pelos and her friends asked why she had to go with the police, the policeman said it was for "profiling."

"Alangan naman kukunin niyo po lahat ng mga transgender na maglalakad dito," one of the group said.

The police officer in the video replied, "Oo, 'yan ang instruction sa amin."

Simon personally apologized to Pelos over the incident. He also relieved the two policemen in the video.

Putting them on file

On Monday, Simon said that in the process of profiling individuals, authorities can determine those who may be involved in crime, based on their actions.

"'Yung tinuturo sa aming profiling during our early days is halimbawa, merong nagkaroon ng occurrence ng krimen sa area at blanko ka at pumunta ka sa kalsada, titingnan mo kung sino 'yung maaaring maging suspect doon. By mere profiling sa mga taong dumadaan sa harap mo, magkakaroon ka ng idea kung sino kaya 'yung taong involved dito sa krimen," Simon said.

"The actions, 'yung kilos, 'yung pananalita, the actuations, the mannerisms, the body languages, makikita mo lahat 'yun, in that way, nagpro-profile na kami," he added.

Simon also said that the profiling is in line with the Makati police's enhanced operations against human trafficking in the area.

According to the Makati police chief, the profiling is being carried out amid the increase of crime in the area, with some of the victims being foreign nationals. He said those victims, most of the time, fail to file complaints with the authorities.

"So kami on our own, mag-i-implement kami ng intervention para 'di na ito maulit. O kung maulit man, 'yung trabaho namin ay gagaan doon sa pag-solve ng krimen na nangyari," he said.

"If we have the files of all na andoon, tatanungin lang namin 'yung victim, nandito ba, namumukhaan mo ba ito kung nandito 'yung bumiktima sa iyo? So with the result of profiling, madali nang maituro kung nandoon o wala," Simon said. — BM, GMA News