Dispatch from Crame No. 1060:
Senator Leila M. de Lima on PNP proposal to make Police Clearance Mandatory

Ang pagrequire ng PNP clearance para sa labor-related transactions ay violation ng karapatan ng tao sa privacy ng kanilang personal information at ng kalayaan nila na sumali sa mga labor unions at organizations.

What is clear is that in proposing that the PNP clearance be made mandatory for various DOLE transactions, the real intent is that PNP wants to harvest data from employees and labor unions.

Wala pa mang nagagawang krimen, gusto nang kunin ng PNP ang mga pribado at personal na impormasyon ng mga job applicants at mga labor union officers na siyang hinihingi pag mag-aaply ng police clearance.

The PNP knows that it cannot simply demand the data from the DOLE without cause or warrant because it would be a violation of our data privacy laws. So they are indirectly doing so by asking DOLE to require job applicants, employees and labor union officers to give their information to the PNP for a "clearance" that is ultimately useless.

We all witnessed what PNP did and is still doing to labor union officers. Some of them are being painted as communists without any proof and then proceeds to summarily execute them claiming that they fought back or "nanlaban".

Does DOLE want to take part in this bloodbath? DOLE should protect our workers. They should also protect the labor union leaders who are our partners in protecting employee welfare. This is DOLE's mandate.

Worse, the proposal for a police clearance adds a new burden to our workers, many of whom are currently out looking for work because of the recession brought about by this government's failed COVID-19 response.

Hindi pa ba sapat ang NBI clearance para sa mga taong may pending na kaso o kaya may outstanding warrant? Bakit kailangan pa ng PNP clearance? Dagdag pasakit, pahirap, at bayarin pa yan sa milyon-milyong Filipino na ngayon ay naghahanap ng trabaho. No rhyme. No reason. Except possibly some sinister motivation.

This suggested PNP clearance for DOLE transactions will not help our people or our economy. What it does is violate the rights of our workers and erode our democracy. The DOLE should not be complicit.

(Access the handwritten copy of Dispatch from Crame No. 1060here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_1060)