NUPL-Panay slams Duterte's ‘cheap trick’ on red tagging

The Panay chapter of the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) on Tuesday slammed the Duterte administration's supposed "cheap" red-tagging tactics after some malicious printed materials were displayed in public places in Iloilo City.

Rene Estocapio, NUPL-Panay chairperson said that on the morning of December 11, pictures of members of people's organizations and the local NUPL chapter  were posted along Guanco Street, Iloilo City. 

The pictures of NUPL-Panay's 11 members and two paralegals bore the caption, "fake people's lawyers" and "minions of the Communist Party of the Philippines."

"At the center of the collage is lawyer Teopisto Melliza brandishing an assault rifle with a mural at the background depicting the 48th anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines," the NUPL said.

Pictures of the members of organizations under the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Panay were also posted publicly, including National Democratic Front (NDF) leader Ma. Concha Araneta-Bocala.  She was tagged as "No. 1 Terrorist sa Panay" in the caption.

"We have no other suspect than the government of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his minions in its security apparatus, particularly the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP)," NUPL-Panay said.

Estocapio said the administration was using the scheme to condition the minds of the people that any attack against the activists was justified.

"Whatever harm that may befell on NUPL members and the people's organizations, we hold the Duterte government and its armed minions solely responsible," the NUPL said. —LDF, GMA News