Navy to reassess surveillance training program

The Philippine Navy hinted Friday it might overhaul its surveillance training program following the botched "surveillance" assignment on the home of National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera. In a radio interview, Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo voiced openness to a suggestion that they inform beforehand the parties who will be the subjects of such trainings. "We're going to conduct a reassessment and reevaluation ... Hindi lahat theoretical (We are going to conduct a reassessment and reevaluation. We cannot junk the program because we cannot rely on theoreticals alone)," Arevalo said in an interview on dzRH radio. "Ayaw natin [na] mag-alala ang ating [mga] kababayan [na] we are using estudyante para mag-espiya (We do not want people to think we are using students to spy on them)," he added. He said at least 30 more students are taking "practical exercises" on surveillance. He did not give further details. "Totoo yan at yan di individual yan, may mga grupo yan (There are 30 students taking the exercises and they are acting in groups)," Arevalo said. Though he aired the possible reassessment on the Navy's intelligence training program, Arevalo, however, failed to explain why they chose Lumbera's house as a subject of the training. [See: Navy: Surveillance on Lumbera home part of ‘intel’ training] Random list While he said the Navy gives an assignment to trainees from a random list, Arevalo said the subjects are usually applicants to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in Baguio City. "May nataon during convening of schooling may nag-a-apply pumasok sa PMA, kailangan [ng] background investigation diyan. Ang address iche-check ng intelligence personnel o estudyante. May civilian na gustong maging sundalo o reservist, necessarily [we] have to conduct BI. May nahuli ang pulis base sa investigation meron siyang sinasabi itong address dito namin dinadala ang shabu," he said. (There are times when some people apply to enter the PMA and we need a background investigation. Or if a civilian wants to be a reservist, we conduct a BI. Or if police arrest someone and shares information, we conduct verification.) When asked if the information gathered by the students during such assignments are given to "higher authorities," Arevalo said: "Tama yan (that's right)." Meanwhile, Arevalo said the trainee caught spying on Lumbera's house, Cpl. Hannibal Mosura Mondido Guerrero, a member of the Philippine Marines, will be returned to his mother unit. "It (incident) will bear on his record," he said. Security men at Mapayapa Village where Lumbera's house is located arrested Guerrero for taking pictures of Lumbera’s house. But Guerrero's companions were able to escape. [See: 'Soldier' held for 'surveillance' on National Artist Lumbera's home] Arevalo said the soldiers’ activities were part of a surveillance training under the military’s Naval Intelligence Security Force. CHR probe But a militant teachers group urged the Commission on Human Rights to investigate the Lumbera spying incident. The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said the military has justified such tactics on Malacañang’s critics by branding them “communist fronts" and “enemies of the state." "The branding of those critical of the Arroyo government as ‘communist fronts’ and ‘enemies of the state’ is an ongoing practice used by the military to justify surveillance, harassment, and violence against progressive organizations and individuals. This is what Prof. Lumbera is experiencing. This practice must stop," ACT national chairman Antonio Tinio said. Lumbera is currently the national chairman of ACT Teachers party-list and a former national chairman of ACT. He is also a convenor of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines. He was among the more vocal protesters who questioned Malacañang’s intervention in the National Artist awards. Tinio also noted that Lumbera’s residence is publicly registered as the national headquarters of ACT Teachers party-list. "We consider this a serious threat to the safety and security of our colleague, given the AFP’s track record of human rights violations against leaders and members of progressive party-list groups and people’s organizations. We will hold the AFP and the Arroyo government accountable should Prof. Lumbera or any member of ACT Teachers party-list or ACT come to any harm," he said. He also called on Philippine Marines commandant Major General Juancho Sabban to publicly explain why his soldiers were monitoring the Lumbera residence. "In the first place, why are the Marines using its personnel to target a civilian? Does the military consider Prof. Lumbera a so-called enemy of the state because of his involvement in ACT Teachers Partylist? Gen. Sabban must explain how such an operation can be justified," he said. - GMANews.TV