#stoptheaccusations

this is the second time i’ve received this message in my inbox, so i feel it’s necessary to address it because frankly, this accusation is absurd. i’m certain i’m not the only writer being accused of using chatgpt or some form of ai to craft my stories, and while i can’t speak for others, i’ll clarify my own position.

when i began writing stories on wattpad back in 2017, i was far from skilled. i was also quite young, with a vocabulary that reflected my middle school self. later, i started writing on tumblr in 2021 and officially on this account in 2022. at that time, i was still in high school, and my writing was undoubtedly rough around the edges, which is evident in my earlier works. however, as i progressed into university, the growth in my skills became increasingly apparent.

through my coursework and education, my writing style has naturally evolved becoming more polished, articulate, and coherent. yes, my stories now have proper grammar and flow better, but that’s a testament to growth, not automation. while some might find similarities in storytelling structures, that isn’t because of ai; it’s simply how creative minds often process and develop ideas.

furthermore, i am a psychology major, a significant part of my academic work involves learning how to articulate and convey ideas effectively. when it comes to crafting one concept for a broad audience, there’s only so much I can adjust in terms of wording and setting before certain elements start to feel repetitive. storytelling, much like academic writing, often requires structure and clarity, and if that results in some overlap in phrasing or themes, it’s a reflection of the process, not a lack of originality.

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.