PNP reprimands general who ordered ‘census’

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police is looking into allegations that a PNP general has ordered police officers to conduct a census and gather personal data of people in several parts of the country.

PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the census supposedly ordered by Directorate for Police Community Relations head Maj. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia, if true, should be stopped.

Eleazar said he reprimanded Sermonia after Sen. Panfilo Lacson identified the latter as the one who ordered police officers to conduct a census.

“We cautioned General Sermonia about this activity, kasi kung merong paglabag, kung merong pinipilit na mag-join dito, definitely hindi
dapat ginagawa iyan,” Eleazar said in an interview on ANC.

Eleazar said Sermonia should take into consideration the country’s privacy law.

Lacson announced last week that Sermonia asked police to get the names, e-mail addresses, cell phone numbers and other personal information of at least
30 percent of residents in every barangay.

Eleazar, however, said leaders of advocacy support groups and other force multipliers were the ones doing the information gathering of prospective members and not the police.

“They will get the names and contact numbers, but it is not a census,” he said.

According to Eleazar, these advocacy support groups have been helping the government to end the decades-old communist insurgency in the country.

Eleazar said there could have been a misinterpretation of Sermonia’s functions as head of the police community relations office.

Eleazar assured the public that the privacy of individuals is being respected by police.

Lacson expressed alarm over the admission by the PNP chief that there are information gathering activities in several barangays nationwide, apparently using the funds intended for the development of barangays already cleared of communist rebels.

He said such activities are still ongoing despite Eleazar’s denials.

“Being a former police chief, I cannot allow the PNP to engage in partisan politics and be ‘bastardized’ worse – using public funds,” Lacson said on Twitter.

Lacson, who chairs the Senate committee on national defense and security, earlier said the PNP was conducting a census using the funds of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.