The Supreme Court has granted the writ of amparo sought by a widow of an alleged member of the communist New People’s Army who was gunned down by policemen in Antique in 2018 and ordered the Philippine National Police to stop its monitoring and surveillance activities against her and two daughters.
Voting 8-5, with one abstention, the SC granted the petition of Vivian A. Sanchez. Jr assailing the Sept. 13, 2018 decision of San Jose, Antique Regional Trial Court of San Jose, denying her petition for a writ of amparo.
In a 19-page decision dated Oct. 15, 2019, copy of which was released to the media only on Thursday, the SC through Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F Leonen also issued a Permanent Protection Order prohibiting members of the PNP from monitoring or surveilling petitioner Sanchez and her children—Scarlet Sanchez Labinghisa and Star Sanchez Labinghisa.
The SC also reminded the respondent police officers to uphold the rights of citizens as contained in the constitution as well as conduct investigations in accordance with their promulgated manuals including the Ethical Doctrine Manual.