Gabriela solon Brosas slams QCPD for alleged harassment

Gabriela party-list Representative Arlene Brosas on Friday decried the supposed harassment of their organization by Quezon City police officers.

The lawmaker said two police officers from Quezon City Police District Station 8 twice went to their office last June 9 to ask for their plans and activities on Independence Day.

She said the police officers also asked for the contact information as well as other personal information of their staff. Brosas said she had a dialogue with the QCPD Station 8 regarding the matter.

"Kinuwestyon namin ang pagpunta ng mga pulis dahil una, nakapag-courtesy call na kami sa barangay. Nakakabahala ito dahil lalo't sunod-sunod ang pag-atake laban sa Gabriela Women's Party dahil sa aming pagsusulong ng karapatang pantao, kasama ang ayuda at serbisyo para sa lahat," Brosas said.

(We questioned why the police went there as we already paid a courtesy call on the barangay. This is alarming especially given that Gabriela has since been attacked because of our human rights and assistance for all advocacy.)

"Walang karapatan ang PNP na alamin ang aming mga aktibidad at dapat tumigil na sila sa kanila terror tactics," she added.

(The PNP has no right to ask about our activities and they should stop their terror tactics.)

Before this incident, she claimed that their office was being surveilled by authorities.

However, QCPD Station 8 commander Police Lieutenant Colonel Melchor Rosales denied any harassment took place and that he clarified the matter during the dialogue with Brosas.

"Okay naman po ang paguusap namin kahapon, nagcoordinate lang po ang mga pulis ko about their activities sa Independence Day," he told GMA News Online.

(Our discussion went well. My police officers just coordinated with them about their Independence Day activities.)

"We only remind them about the guidance in health protocols na once ma-violate po ako mananagot pag nagdikit-dikit po sila kaya inabisuhan po namin sila ng maaga po," Rosales added.

(We only reminded them of the guidance on health protocols. If there is a violation, I could be held liable if there is a failure to abide by social distancing rules. That's why we reminded them early.)

When the sprouting of community pantries was a hot issue, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar had told the public that it is part of the police's duty to always ask questions, aside from conducting patrols.

Eleazar lamented that this was often seen as harassment. — DVM, GMA News