Police doing 'background checks' on party-list staff, solon claims
11/09/2009 | 09:03 PM
The Lower House security chief has allegedly asked police to check the backgrounds of staff members of party-list congressmen, a militant lawmaker claimed Monday.
Anakpawis Rep. Joel Maglunsod said in a statement that two police officers went looking for one of his legislative staff, Maureen Hermitanio, last October 24, 26, 28 and November 3, supposedly as part of a background check ordered by the House Sergeant-At-Arms, retired Brig. Gen. Horacio Lactao.
The men in plainclothes, who sought Hermitanio at her residence in San Mateo, Rizal, were identified by Anakpawis staff as PO1 Bonifacio Dela Cruz and PO2 Ireneo Descaya of the San Mateo municipal police station.
Last Thursday, November 5, Hermitanio, together with Maglunsod’s Chief Political Affairs Officer Lualhati Roque and Anakpawis staff Ofelia Beltran-Balleta confronted PO1 Dela Cruz, who then named his companion as PO2 Descaya.
According to the Anakpawis staff, Dela Cruz said they were just following orders from San Mateo Police intelligence chief Michael Angeles.
Anakpawis said they found out that the background investigation order was based on the following: a memorandum from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Calabarzon Regional Office dated July 22, a memorandum from a certain “TDI" dated July 3, a request letter from Lactao addressed to the PNP and an action slip from the Office of Chief PNP, both dated July 1.
Maglunsod said the background checks were supposedly done as part of the preparations for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's State of the Nation Address last July 27, adding that other party-list congressional staff were also ordered investigated.
Maglunsod also said that the two police agents were also looking for several other congressional staff members of party-list groups based on a list in their possession. He named the other staff as Tony C. Rom, Agnes Marcell C. Lorenzana and Teresa C. Del Rosario, all residents of Rizal province.
"We strongly condemn this case of harassment and invasion of privacy against Ms. Hermitanio and Anakpawis partylist," said Maglunsod.
The lawmaker said he would ask for a probe into the incident. “We need to know if there is indeed an order from Sergeant-At-Arms Lactao for the conduct of background investigation on Hermitanio and other congressional staff of either partylist House members or district representatives," he said.
Maglunsod said he tried several times to personally confirm the background check order with Lactao, but the latter was on leave according to Legislative Security Bureau personnel.
Lactao could not be immediately reached for comment, but deputy Sergeant-at-Arms Winston Taccad told said in a phone interview that he is not aware of any such order.
House Speaker Prospero Nograles said background checks for House employees are normal especially since the Batasan Complex was bombed in 2007. [See: Rep. Wahab Akbar, 2 others killed in Batasan bomb blast].
"Standard operating procedure ever since, all employees are subjected to some background check especially because we experienced bombing here in the House," Nograles said in a text message to GMANews.TV. - Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV
Anakpawis Rep. Joel Maglunsod said in a statement that two police officers went looking for one of his legislative staff, Maureen Hermitanio, last October 24, 26, 28 and November 3, supposedly as part of a background check ordered by the House Sergeant-At-Arms, retired Brig. Gen. Horacio Lactao.
The men in plainclothes, who sought Hermitanio at her residence in San Mateo, Rizal, were identified by Anakpawis staff as PO1 Bonifacio Dela Cruz and PO2 Ireneo Descaya of the San Mateo municipal police station.
Last Thursday, November 5, Hermitanio, together with Maglunsod’s Chief Political Affairs Officer Lualhati Roque and Anakpawis staff Ofelia Beltran-Balleta confronted PO1 Dela Cruz, who then named his companion as PO2 Descaya.
According to the Anakpawis staff, Dela Cruz said they were just following orders from San Mateo Police intelligence chief Michael Angeles.
Anakpawis said they found out that the background investigation order was based on the following: a memorandum from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Calabarzon Regional Office dated July 22, a memorandum from a certain “TDI" dated July 3, a request letter from Lactao addressed to the PNP and an action slip from the Office of Chief PNP, both dated July 1.
Maglunsod said the background checks were supposedly done as part of the preparations for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's State of the Nation Address last July 27, adding that other party-list congressional staff were also ordered investigated.
Maglunsod also said that the two police agents were also looking for several other congressional staff members of party-list groups based on a list in their possession. He named the other staff as Tony C. Rom, Agnes Marcell C. Lorenzana and Teresa C. Del Rosario, all residents of Rizal province.
"We strongly condemn this case of harassment and invasion of privacy against Ms. Hermitanio and Anakpawis partylist," said Maglunsod.
The lawmaker said he would ask for a probe into the incident. “We need to know if there is indeed an order from Sergeant-At-Arms Lactao for the conduct of background investigation on Hermitanio and other congressional staff of either partylist House members or district representatives," he said.
Maglunsod said he tried several times to personally confirm the background check order with Lactao, but the latter was on leave according to Legislative Security Bureau personnel.
Lactao could not be immediately reached for comment, but deputy Sergeant-at-Arms Winston Taccad told said in a phone interview that he is not aware of any such order.
House Speaker Prospero Nograles said background checks for House employees are normal especially since the Batasan Complex was bombed in 2007. [See: Rep. Wahab Akbar, 2 others killed in Batasan bomb blast].
"Standard operating procedure ever since, all employees are subjected to some background check especially because we experienced bombing here in the House," Nograles said in a text message to GMANews.TV. - Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV
