The Philippine National Police (PNP) stood by its action in arresting a professor of the University of the Philippines (UP) inside the Diliman campus in Quezon City.
PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr. said the arrest of UP professor Melania Flores on Feb. 6 was legitimate as it was covered by an arrest warrant issued by a court--in connection with the alleged non-remittance of the Social Security System (SSS) contribution of an employee who used to work for her.
"I don't see any violation in the serving of the arrest warrant. As a matter of fact, the Miranda Doctrine was read during her arrest which included her rights. The PNP is just implementing a court order coming from a competent court," said Azurin.
Flores earlier protested the manner in which she was arrested, as she was quoted saying that the policemen first posed as personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and later announced the arrest after they confirmed that it was her.
She also questioned why the PNP did not respect the UP-Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) agreement which stated that policemen should first coordinate with the UP authorities before any police action is conducted.
But Azurin insisted that the serving of the arrest warrant was valid: "It was not indicated in the arrest warrant that it cannot be served in a specific area."
"This can be served in any area where you could find the wanted person. So I don't see any violation," he added.
The 1992 UP-DILG agreement, which limits police presence in UP campuses, was signed by then UP President Jose Abueva and then DILG Secretary Rafael M. Alunan III after the enactment of Republic Act No. 6975 which transferred the country’s police force from the DND to the DILG.
Defense and Security officials called for its review amid the crackdown on communist rebels and allegations that UP and other universities are recruitment grounds of communist rebels.
In a statement, UP Office of the Faculty Regent Carl Marc Ramota said the arrest violated the protocol stipulated in the agreement and for an investigation.
“One of the provisions of the 1992 Accord stipulated that ‘the service of search or arrest warrants on any UP student, faculty, employees, or invited participants in any official activity shall, as far as practicable, be done after prior notification is given the UP President, or Chancellor of the constituent university, or Dean of the regional unit concerned, or their respective officers-in-charge in the event of their absence,'” he said.
Ramota added that the incident set a “dangerous precedent” in the UP community and he also urged UP officials to promote and uphold academic freedom through academic and legal resources.
“At the heart of the University is the exercise of academic freedom, and its promotion and protection must be the priority of all its administrators. It is the University’s duty to promote and protect academic freedom amid disinformation, historical distortion, and wanton disregard of people’s rights,” he added.