Red-tagging claims aimed at discrediting anti-terror law

A government official on Friday slammed claims of red-tagging by left-leaning groups, saying these were used to discredit the controversial law that seeks to strengthen the Philippines’ anti-terrorism campaign.

Undersecretary Severo Catura of the Presidential Human Rights Committee (PHRC) Secretariat said it was Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison who had identified some progressive groups as legal fronts of the CPP, a charge the exiled communist leader has denied.

“Critics of government often correlate red-tagging to [the] anti-terrorism campaign,” said Catura, whose office gives policy advice to President Rodrigo Duterte on human rights issues.

“That term [red-tagging] is simply to diminish the value of having a very effective anti-terrorism law and at the same time it wishes to diminish the efforts of government to address terrorism in our midst,” he added in a virtual news conference.

Moreover, he said those allegedly red-tagged by the government wanted to “move forward an agenda that they are being persecuted when in fact they are not. The Philippine government has never red-tagged anyone.” 

“If they are being red-tagged, how come we do not see cases of unjust detention, of suppression, of physical harassment that are being referred to the proper accountability mechanisms of the state?” he added.

Duterte has repeatedly accused leftist organizations such as the Makabayan bloc, Gabriela, and Bayan of conniving with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) of plotting to overthrow the government.

Makabayan lawmakers strongly denied the President’s claim even as they challenged him to file charges against them in court.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, meanwhile, stood by the President’s pronouncements.

“Ginagamitan lang nila ng legal front cover pero ang ginagawa nila, ang kanilang layunin ay tulungan itong CPP-NPA,” Lorenzana said at the Laging Handa briefing.

"Wala siguro kaming makitang membership card nila pero hindi na natin kailangang makuha/makita pa iyong membership card nila o makita natin silang nag-oathtaking sa  Communist Party. Pero iyong actions nila, iyong ginagawa nila, araw-araw na ginagawa ay nagpapatunay na sila ay miyembro,” he added.

In October, Bayan and other activist groups urged the Supreme Court to stop the implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, citing arrests and continued "red-tagging" by security officials.

The petitioners claimed they are "vulnerable targets" of the government's counter-insurgency campaign.

There are 37 petitions questioning before the high court the constitutionality of the law, which took effect in July. Oral arguments on the petitions will begin on January 19, 2021. —LBG, GMA News