Cateel police hit for soc med posts tagging 14 activists as ‘active wanted persons’
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/30 May 2026)– Progressive groups called out the Cateel Municipal Police Station in Davao Oriental for posts on its official Facebook page that labeled at least 14 activists in Davao Region as ‘active wanted persons’ saying the malicious posts reveal how authorities continue to target human rights defenders and vilify their advocacies.
Rauf Sissay, a secretariat member of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN)-Southern Mindanao Region, told MindaNews in a phone interview on Saturday that the posts were alarming because the posts confirm that several activists have been under surveillance or have been subjected to profiling and that their activities and whereabouts are being closely monitored.
Sissay was among those maliciously tagged, along with Grecian Asoy, spokesperson for Karapatan-Southern Mindanao, and Cobbie Jan Canda, chairperson of Kabataan Partylist-Southern Mindanao, as well as several members of Gabriela Southern Mindanao, Anakbayan, and student leaders from the University of the Philippines-Mindanao.
He said they are now consulting their legal counsel on possible actions against officials of the Cateel Municipal Police.
He said they will also file a formal request with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR)-Davao Region next week to investigate the incident.
Sissay said the posts, which contained their names, photos, and organizations, were uploaded separately at 8:45 a.m. and 8:47 a.m. on Wednesday, but were taken down around 5:00 p.m. the same day.
“Walay nakabutang sa mismong post, unsa among violation unsa among kaso. Purely mga pangalan, organization, ug mga larawan namo nga gipangkuha sa mga social media posts namo (There was nothing in the posts about violations or cases. It only contained our names, organizations, and photos taken from our social media posts),” Sissay said.
MindaNews sought a statement from Maj. Catherine dela Rey, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Davao, but the official has not responded as of this posting
Sissay said Police Major Michael P. Celecio, chief of the Cateel Municipal Police Station, had already apologized on Friday for the ‘inconvenience’ they had caused, admitting that they had made an error in posting them.
He said the police official confirmed that none of the individuals mentioned in the posts had any pending arrest warrants.
But Sissay believes the police made the posts to harass or intimidate the activists and community organizers.
“Alarming ni sya nga nahitabo pero dili me magpapugong. Magpadayon gihapun ni (What happened was very alarming, but this will not stop us. We will continue),” he said.
In a statement on Friday, one of those named in the posts has called for Celecio’s resignation, saying that his apology is not enough to negate “the danger caused to activists, the damage done to their reputations and dignity, and the anxiety caused to them personally and their families.”
“PNP Cateel, your apology is not enough. There must be accountability. We, the victims, will continue to demand justice and hold those responsible accountable. We will not be silenced until justice is served and those behind this dangerous act are made to answer for the harm they caused,” Canda, the chairperson of Kabataan Partylist-Southern Mindanao, said.
He said the posts not only affected his mental health but also had an impact on his family and closest friends.
“You cannot erase the damage, fear, and anxiety that you have caused—not only to me, but also to my organization, my friends, and most especially, my family. Your so-called ‘mistake’ opened the floodgates for troll attacks, misinformation campaigns, harassment, and ridicule directed at my loved ones and me,” he said. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
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