MANILA – Presidential Communications Office’s Undersecretary Claire Castro has reminded uniformed personnel that they should be “impartial and nonpartisan.”
Castro’s remark came after a police officer went viral for speaking against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. following the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
“Kahit sino naman pong Pangulo eh mabibigla po sa tinuran ng sinasabing opisyal, uniformed personnel. Alam po natin na kapag uniformed personnel, dapat po impartial at nonpartisan,” Castro said in a Palace press briefing.
In a now-deleted social media post, Patrolman Francis Steve Tallion Fontillas wrote: “To ICC and Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization), don’t even lay your finger on our Tatay Digong or else we will start the war that you can’t even imagine. This is not a warning, this is a threat!”
The National Police Commission, in response, ordered an immediate investigation and the filing of administrative charges against Fontillas, a member of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), over his partisan stance on Duterte’s arrest.
The QCPD also filed a complaint against Fontillas before Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office for inciting to sedition under Article 142 of the Revised Penal Code, in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
“Kapag may mga ganito po, talaga pong nananawagan ng panggugulo, hindi po talaga ito palalagpasin ng Palasyo,” Castro said. “Kung ano pong nararapat, kung meron pong pagdidisiplina o parusa, siguro dapat lang po lung naaayon po sa batas.”
Meanwhile, in another Facebook post, Fontanillas questioned the complaint filed against him by the QCPD saying he only expressed his stand.
He also stressed that he was on leave as a policeman when he made the controversial post.
“Inciting to sedition daw ‘ýung ginawa ko? Hahaha. Okay lang ba kayo? I only expressed my stand and my principles. Where’s our right to freedom of expression now? Kawawa naman ang Pilipinas. Hahaha,” Fontanillas said./PN
