Cordillera court orders PNP: Stop red-tagging activists

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – A court in this city has ordered the police in the Cordilleras to stop red-tagging youth activists and their organizations.

Regional Trial Court Judge Emmanuel Rasing said police should stop tagging the activists as communist rebels as they had been posting on social media.

Christian Dave Ruz of Kabataan party-list, Deanna Louise Montenegro of the National Union of Students of the Philippines, UP Baguio Student Council chairman Leandro Enrico Ponce and Keidy Transfiguracion of the Cordilleran Youth Center filed a petition for a writ of amparo against “the imminent, real and present danger on their life, liberty and security brought about by relentless red-tagging directed against them.”

The youth leaders said police linked them to the New Peoples’ Army, Communist Party of the Philippines and National Democratic Front.

“Respondent police regional official... including all Philippine National Police units, groups, stations, officers and offices under it shall make no social media or tarpaulin or public postings by any other means bragging or tagging petitioners and the organizations... as communist terrorists,” Rasing said in an order dated March 25.

The court directed  the Cordillera police to file a written reply within five working days upon receipt of the order.

Cordillera police director Brig. Gen. Rwin Pagkalinawan has yet to issue a statement on the court’s order.

Breathing space

The Cordillera Human Rights Alliance said the court order is a “much-needed breathing space” for human rights defenders subjected to relentless attacks.

It said Rasing’s order is a “mode victory” in the long battle for the defense and assertion of human rights and justice.

The alliance said the ruling is also a “humble tribute” to “countless martyrs in the defense of human rights and social justice.”

Meanwhile, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) expressed its support for a bill filed by Sen. Franklin Drilon seeking to penalize red-tagging.

“This is a very welcome development in the people’s fight against state-sponsored red-tagging and human rights violations. We are hoping for the approval of this measure. Farmers will lobby for
the passage of this bill,” KMP chairman Danilo Ramos said.

Ramos said many of their leaders and members were killed, arrested,
and faced trumped-up charges after being accused as members of communist terrorist groups.

Drilon’s bill defines red-tagging as “the act of labeling, vilifying, branding, naming, accusing, harassing, persecuting, stereotyping or caricaturing individuals, groups or organizations as state enemies, left-leaning subversives, communists or terrorists.” – Rhodina Villanueva