Filtered By: Topstories
News

NCRPO gathers info on Muslim students; group cries profiling, Islamophobia


The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has started gathering information on Muslims studying in Metro Manila schools and universities, as part of its fight against violent extremism, its spokesperson said on Thursday.

When asked if the gathering of information is profiling, NCRPO spokesperson Major Britz Estadilla told GMA News Online, “Hindi naman po siya profiling. Para lang lang may pagkunan ng database.”

In a January 31 document, a memorandum from a division of the Manila Police District directed all police stations to submit an updated list of Muslim students in their respective areas.

It includes students in high schools, colleges, and universities.

Among the information being gathered were the total number of Muslim students, number of females and males, their academic levels, and the names of the schools.

The set of information will be used for for Salaam Police Center’s series of activities in Metro Manila “as part of the strengthening of peace building [to] counter violent extremism of the Philippine National Police.”

Teachers’ group ACT said targeting Muslim students in counterterrorism seminars “reek of the police's ignorance and Islamophobia.”

GMA News Online contacted MPD Chief Brigadier General Bernabe Balba for comments. He has yet to respond. — MDM, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT