Karapatan sec-gen bares arrest try by cop 'posing as LBC courier'

The secretary-general of Karapatan on Tuesday exposed an attempt by authorities to serve her a warrant of arrest, which has been recalled by the court three months ago, through a police officer posing as an employee of a courier service.

On Facebook, Cristina "Tinay" Palabay said: "Ito talagang mga pulis na ito, mga alituntunin nila, sila ang lumalabag.  So sila ang magpapatupad ng anti-terror law ngayon?"

Through her lawyers, Palabay said she would submit to authorities the copy of the IDs and video of the cops who tried to serve her the warrant.

The supposed warrant stemmed from a perjury complaint earlier filed by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon against her and officers of the rights group Karapatan and two other organizations. 

The complaint was dismissed by a Quezon City court, but was revived by Esperon in another court following a motion for reconsideration.

Palabay said the arrest warrant was issued while she was taking part at the 43rd UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, SWitzerland. Upon return to the country in April, she posted bail and presented herself to the executive judge through online channels.  She added an order for the recall of the warrant was issued in April.

"So I was surprised when a guy who introduced himself as an LBC courier served me the arrest warrant on this case today. And then another guy in plainclothes introduced himself as the cop and he said he is from Camp Karingal," she said.

When shown the recall order, the officers said they have yet to receive their copy, and that they got hold of the warrant of arrest on Monday.

"I asked for their IDs. The guy in plainclothes easily gave his and said, after I badgered the 'LBC guy' for his ID that the LBC guy is also a cop," Palabay said.

"I told him, sir, that is not what is written in the PNP manual when you’re serving warrants of arrests. You should introduce yourself as policemen... You should be in uniform. In fact, you should have read to me my Miranda rights," she added.

According to Palabay, the officers said they would not be able to arrest anyone if they followed the procedure.

"They said, after saying sorry, that they wouldn’t be able to arrest anyone that way, and that people being arrested might escape," she said.

Palabay also posted the recall order on Facebook.

"Para sa mga pulis, sa NBI at sa kung sino pa man, pinost ko na itong recall order ha. Baka sabihin nyo, wala na naman kayong alam," Palabay said.

"Alangan namang ako pa ang magpadala sa inyo nito, eh hindi ko naman trabaho yan. Kami na nga ang inaagrabyado sa malisyosong kasong ito eh," she added. —LDF, GMA News