MANILA - Malacañang on Tuesday denied that there were irregularities in the arrest of human rights defender and doctor Maria Natividad Marian Castro, who was taken from her home last week over charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

Castro's sister earlier said that while arresting officers presented the arrest warrant, they refused to identify themselves and supposedly manhandled them during the incident in San Juan on February 18.

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

"All law enforcement authorities maintain that the proper procedure was followed," acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said in a televised briefing.

"We were assured by DILG Secretary that our law enforcement authorities did everything by the book," he said, referring to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.

Nograles also denied that Castro, a former official of rights group Karapatan in the Caraga region, was arrested after being accused of taking part in the communist movement.

"That is pure speculation. Wala pong red tagging na nagaganap (There is no red tagging)," the spokesperson claimed.

The PNP in a press statement, however, accused Catsro of being "a CPP Central Committee member and head of the CPP-NPA National Health Bureau based in Barangay Libertad, Butuan City."

• Castro a doctor for the masses, not a member of CPP-NPA, says family

Nograles said Castro was arrested after a regional trial court issued an arrest warrant against her for serious illegal detention and kidnapping.

"May specific crime that was the cause of the warrant of arrest," he said.

"If the lawyer of Dr. Naty would like to question that, again, all legal remedies are available to them and their client," he said.

Several groups have called for the release of the doctor, saying Castro had been denied access to her legal counsel and family, as well as access to medication for hypertension and diabetes.

• Rights groups, lawyers ‘gravely concerned’ over Naty Castro’s whereabouts

The DILG denied this and criticized the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) for releasing a statement claiming that the doctor, was accused of being a Communist -- despite the PNP statement on February 18 claiming Castro is a ranking member of the Central Committee of the CPP-NPA.

"Hindi pa sila nakakapagconduct ng imbestigasyon naglabas na sila ng statement sa media na di umano Dr. Castro has been red-tagged," DILG spokesperson and Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya told state television PTV.

(They have not yet conducted an investigation but they have already released a statement to the media alleging that Dr. Castro has been red- tagged.)

"Kapag nagsabi po sila ng ganiyan (When they say things like that), they have already pre-judged the case. They have to be true to their mandate that they are impartial, fair and unbiased," he claimed.

• CHR probes arrest of community doctor Naty Castro

Malaya also called on politicians to "not gang up on our [police] officers."

"Ito pong ating mga kapulisan are only doing their job," he said.

(Our policemen are just doing their job.)

"Kung hindi naman po gagawin ng PNP ang kanilang tungkulin, sila po ang makakasuhan," he said.

(If the PNP fails to do its mandate, cases will be filed against them.)

The Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) earlier said it would "pursue all available legal remedies to secure Doc Naty's freedom or the immediate dismissal of the case against her."

The doctor also plans to take legal action against police officers "who violated her rights with impunity and went against established procedure when they took her from her home in San Juan" as well as those who "red-tagged" her, FLAG said.

• Arrested community doctor reunited with family, case details unclear — FLAG

RELATED VIDEO

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv