CuriousMinds

No Evidence Yet Guilty

By: Justine Leigh Deveza and Kristian Joshua Soriano

In recent times, many issues arise despite the current problems we are facing, hence COVID-19. These issues have been abundant in the media due to its horrific endangerment of one’s life only because of false accusations originating from individuals with higher background with an intent to ruin one’s reputation. People who watch the news are quite familiar when the thought of red-tagging comes to mind as many celebrities and politicians have also been a victim of this. In simple terms, the idea of red-tagging refers to when an individual or organization is labeled and “tagged” as communists or terrorists. These individuals are harassed and blacklisted as such to where they are no longer treated as humans because of evidence to which is substantial and not completely proven. Not only is their place in society affected, but also their well-being and safety.

As red-tagging continues to grow abundantly in the Philippines, many more lives continue to suffer, as being labeled as a communist can be very dangerous for the time being. According to Cristina Palabay, there were at least 78 casualties due to the reason for red-tagging last year. One of the celebrities that is known for her good deeds and philanthropy during the calamity that occurred in Marawi City, Angel Locsin was there to help those people that were affected in the war, yet she was red-tagged. Lieutenant General Anton Parlade Jr. red-tagged Angel Locsin, stating that she is possibly a member of the NPA, which she solemnly declined. Locsin received quite a crowd with this claim, yet Anton Parlade Jr. denied that he made those accusations even with the evidence being self-evident. Not only her but also her family was caught in the storm and publicly announced to stop harassing them as they are not what Anton Parlade Jr. claims them to be. Inevitably, Locsin considered the cessation of her philanthropy and donations to protect more individuals from getting tagged as well. One of also recent events related to this was the allegation against Bakwit School 7 who was arrested on suspicion that they were in the process of recruiting minors of lumad tribe and training them to become fighters of a communist group. After 2 months, the 7 detainees were released when the charges against them were dismissed because of insufficiency of evidence. With how things went, we can see that this is an incident that relates to red-tagging, especially that the 7 detainees are members of lumad trip. There have been many incidents like this in which police pressure or harass lumad people or worse even kill them in which every incident either lacks evidence or the evidence just doesn't make sense. The purpose of these raids is not only to weaken the lumad groups but also to take down the resistance Filipino people have made because of being tired from the government's daily exploitation of the poor. This incident roots from one issue that is the long history of indigenous peoples' struggle against their ancestral lands being exploited by those with wealth and power.

Red-Tagging: More than what meets the eye

By: Vince Iverson Cedric Delos Reyes and Erin Mei Vicente

A lot of Filipinos complain about how the government handles the health crisis that the country faces today. These complaints were considered as defiances by the government, thus resulting in prevalent cases of first-rate labeling. Another baby, a month old, was held in custody alongside her mother. An elderly couple, both of whom had health problems, was fatally shot for allegedly resisting arrest. A journalist and seven union organizers have been arrested. Police "rescued" Lumad students from a Catholic university dormitory in Cebu City (Rappler, 2021). People even influencers and showbiz personalities are being labeled putting them in danger of arrests, and worst case, murder. Then, came the turn of court officials and judges being labeled as an enemy of the state. All these and a lot more happened in the span of one whole year, diverting our attention to a health crisis solution to the possible protection of these individuals. 

These cases are called red-tagging, according to Inquirer a term that originated from the United States of America, associated with the phrase ‘red scare’ (2021). The first event of red scare came after the 1917 success of Bolshevik and the establishment of the Soviet Union. Americans saw this emerging powerful communist state as a threat to their capitalism. As the Philippines was widely influenced by the United States, the country has adapted to this ‘red scare’ culture. Red-tagging cases become more rampant in its use of social media and endangering lives due to the impunity with which our military and police regard red as authority to fire a weapon (Inquirer, 2021). 

More than this, to make matters much worse than simply tagging individuals as terrorists, communists and relating them to the New People’s Army, the government has passed the Anti-Terror Law. This law gives a free pass to the military to arrest anyone without a warrant and keep them in jail for 24 days even without a filed case (Rappler, 2021). 

A human rights organization secretary-general, Cristina Palabay reiterated that even in the previous administrations, red-tagging has occurred,  but today in the current governance, they regularly use this as a tactic. The Duterte administration took everything a notch higher - worsening the cases and taking a large step towards a much more ominous agenda.  

No one is exempted in these cases of labeling, as a result, a lot of people and organizations have already embraced the fact that they are susceptible to red-tagging (VOA News, 2021). People realized that even the simple opposition against the government would be used as a way to be red-tagged. But red-tagging has more to it than meets the eye, regardless of what medium, red-tagging costs the lives of innocent people.

A lot of people agree that this tactic of the government should be put to a halt. People do not deserve to die on baseless accusations. Combating red-tagging and other dangers to groups remains a hard task, especially in an administration where impunity reigns supreme. 

Peace talks are an option to end this prolonged stalemate. Years of peace discussions yielded enough to establish a solid platform for their revival. Open ND leaders have stated their support for resuming peace talks. There is no need for red labeling if a political settlement is reached and the armed conflict is terminated.

According to several groups, abrogating Executive Order No. 70 is the ultimate solution to end. This order has been used to justify threats and intimidation of persons and organizations striving to enhance the human rights and welfare of various marginalized, disadvantaged, and vulnerable groups in society. This suggestion should be highly considered as it is already time to stand up for the country against the attacks from the state itself. 

Red-Tagging in the Philippines: Duterte Administration

By: Mary Rose Caputero and Denisse Marie Dacayanan

Red-tagging refers to people or organizations who seem to be associated with a left-wing political movement, such as the Labour Party, a trade union, or a pro-union group. Our country, despite the health crisis we are experiencing, has also been facing issues about red-tagging. Complaints are circulating all over the country about how wrong it is to red-tag, much more in the absence of evidence, it is expected or assumed that any individual or entity identified in this way has actually participated in illegal activities. Our constitution guarantees freedom of political opinion. No one will be arrested because of their political beliefs and ambitions, let alone killed. Therefore, as long as a person or organization targets a certain person or an organization targets their political beliefs and ambitions, then Communists or organizations on the communist front are not in themselves illegally identifying them wisely and defending their political beliefs in a peaceful and legal manner (Inquirer, 2020).

Last November 2020, three public hearings were held in the Senate to examine “red-tagging,” a process in which activists and opponents are labeled as communist insurgents' recruiters. Several witnesses, both underground and legal activists, spoke in defense of the NTF-ELCAC, and military officials and members of the NTF-ELCAC said that they were carrying out their duty to eliminate leftist insurgency. Long-standing allegations of a massive communist infiltration in civil society have been restated by stating that officials from parliament, members of the clergy, journalists, and even a UN Special Rapporteur all serve as communists in society. Even if the veracity of the witnesses is in question, there is no denying that red-tagging poses a major threat (Lowy Institute, 2020).

Over the course of this year, well-known activists such as Jory Porquia, Randall Echanis, Zara Alvarez, and Carlito Badion have all been murdered. Before their deaths, all of these people were labeled communist-terrorists in one form or another. “Communist-terrorist” describes someone who is a communist and a terrorist at the same time. Radical beliefs may or may not be criminal, depending on the jurisdiction. Left-leaning people in the military, to the armed forces, are assumed to be communists, and all communists are assumed to be terrorists, and thus they must be eliminated. The Philippines Commission on Human Rights voiced its concern over the latest series of murders, which follow the pattern previously established by President Duterte in which the victims are described as members of the Communist Party.

Recently, Filipina celebrity Liza Soberano was part of an online seminar held by Gabriela, an organization that works to advance women's rights, in which Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, a Spanish-language news website, issued a warning to her in regards to "abandoning her group". The message is that you'll face the same fate as Josephine Anne Lapira if you don't intervene. Lapira, a Communist guerrilla, was executed by the Philippine military in 2017 as a member of the NPA. To Angel Locsin and Catriona Gray, Parlade made identical public threats. Due to the fame of his targets, Parlade's red-tagging binge attracted national attention, and protests emerged online condemning Parlade's false accusations and profane threats. He was referring to the allegations that Miss Universe was a terrorist. Despite issuing a partial apology, Parlade was nonetheless distanced from the Duterte government.

The idea of assumption of innocence, as well as the freedom of association, are all violated by red-tagging, which is comparable to guilt by association. In effect, it is a "done process" rather than a "due process," because red-tagging convicts before hearings and is based on evidence that is neither credible, competent, nor relevant, or perhaps no evidence at all.

President Duterte's recent government has increased its political assaults on critics and dissidents, labeling them as members of the Communist Party of the Philippines without any proof (CPP). The Duterte government has labeled the CPP and its military branch, the New People's Army (NPA), “terrorist organizations.” In retaliation for these coup plans, the military, and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) are adding even more red-tagged people to their enemies lists. The Duterte government is trying to eliminate mass rebellion, as well as working people, behind its political opponents.