ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo (Facebook)

House Deputy Majority Leader ACT-CIS Party-list Erwin Tulfo and the rest of the solons who took part in the Committee on Public Order and Safety hearing on Monday, Feb. 19 once again showed erring police officers who was boss.

During the hearing, the attending solons moved to extend its inquiry against police officers involved in the alleged illegal arrest of four Chinese nationals in Parañaque City last September after the Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership failed to comply with some requirements.

"May I remind our officials from the PNP that this is a congressional inquiry, this is not a talk show, this is not a press conference na pwede niyong i-withhold [ang mga impormasyon],” Tulfo said.

(This is not a press conference where you can withhold information.)

The eight cops invovled in the case were ordered detained recently by the House members after they were cited in contempt for continuous lying in the committee hearings. Their detention were ultimately extended.

“Gusto na sana naming i-dismiss na itong investigation at palayain na yung mga pulis na na contempt pero wala tayong magawa kundi ituloy ito,” said Sta. Rosa, Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez, chair of the said committee.

It was started when Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop cited the PNP for not complying with the request of 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Bonifacio Bosita to the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM) to submit all the names of dismissed police personnel.

Acop got irked when Col. Lynette Tadeo of the PNP-DPRM said they could not comply with the request due to the provision in Republic Act (RA) No.10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

“Sinasabi ko na nga basahin niyo kasi ang batas na sinasabi niyo. Hindi naman absolute may exemption. Baka akala niyo hindi kami nagbabasa dito e,” Acop, a lawyer and retired police brigadier general, scolded the police official.

(What I'm telling you to do is to read the law that you are citing. The exemption provided isn't absolute. Maybe you thought we didn't read it.)

Acop cited Section 13, Paragraph (F) of the law, which stated: “The processing concerns such personal information as is necessary for the protection of lawful rights and interests of natural or legal persons in court proceedings, or the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims, or when provided to government or public authority.”

“This body has constitutional and statutory mandate. Sabihin mo sa boss mo (Tell that to your boss),” said panel vice chairman Acop, who insisted that they have the mandate to require police authorities to submit the said documents.

Tulfo, for his part, warned of another contempt citation if the PNP won't submit the requirement being sought by Bosita.

“Kasi baka ang sumunod dito kayo ang ma-contempt for not following instructions from the committee. Wag niyo po balewalain ang committee na ito,” Tulfo, also a popular broadcast journalist, said.

(You might get cited in contempt for not following instructions from the committee. Don't just ignore this committee.)

“This is an inquiry, kung wala kayong tiwala sa inquiry meron din kaming executive session which is a close door. Mga national security issues we handle that here. We go to executive session. Kaya wag niyo idahilan na hindi niyo maibigay,” he pointed out.

(If you don't trust the inquiry then we can have an executive session which is closed-door. We can handle national security issues here...so don't make that as your alibi.)

Tulfo added that the public might think that the PNP was merely trying to cover up the involvement of their colleagues.

In the end, Tadeo told the panel that they will comply.