Red Tagging

Red-tagging in the Philippines

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Red-tagging in the Philippines refers to the malicious blacklisting of individuals or
organizations critical or not fully supportive of the actions of a
sitting government administration in the country. These individuals and organizations
are "tagged" as either communist or terrorist or both, regardless of their actual political
beliefs or affiliations.[1] It is a type of incitement and has pernicious effects on its targets.
[2]
 Red-tagging may be performed by either security forces,[3][4][5][6] public servants or shills.
Red-tagging in the Philippines is a relic of the Cold War and has had a long history in
the former United States colony,[7] and cause-oriented groups including the United
Nations,[8] Amnesty International,[9] and Human Rights Watch[10] warn that its use as a
political tactic undermines Philippine democracy by stifling dissent, producing a chilling
effect on general discourse and, more insidiously,
encouraging assassinations and retaliations.[11][12]

Definitions[edit]
Commonly defined as the harassment or persecution of a person because of "known or suspected
communist sympathies,"[2] the extensive history of red-tagging in the Philippines has led to the
recognition of several formal definitions by the Philippine government.
The Commission on Human Rights follows the definition laid down by the International Peace
Observers Network (IPON), which defines it as:[2]
An act of State actors, particularly law enforcement agencies, to publicly brand individuals, groups,
or institutions as… affiliated to communist or leftist terrorists.
Additionally, the term has been defined in Philippine jurisprudence through the dissenting opinion
of Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen in the 2015 court case Zarate vs. Aquino III
(G.R. No. 220028 J. Leonen Dissenting Opinion, November 10, 2015), in which Leonen adopted a
2011 journals' definition of red-tagging:[2]
the act of labelling, branding, naming and accusing individuals and/ or organizations of being left-
leaning, subversives, communists or terrorists (used as) a strategy… by State agents, particularly
law enforcement agencies and the military, against those perceived to be 'threats' or 'enemies of the
State.'

Effects[edit]
Human rights violations[edit]
Red-tagging impinges on the right to free expression and dissent according to media and rights
groups.[13] The Philippine Commission of Human Rights (CHR) also noted that red-tagging threatens
the lives or safety of individuals.[14] The act of red-tagging human-rights defenders constitutes a grave
threat to their lives, liberty, and security. It creates a distortion to the nature of their work and makes
them susceptible to attacks and a number of violations as emphasized by the CHR. [15] The killing of
four activists in June 2015 in Sorsogon City may have been the result of the activists's membership
in groups that were red-tagged by the Philippine government, according to Amnesty International.
  Security forces have raided the offices of these red-tagged organizations and arrested members
[16]

of these organizations.[17] The raids have been described as a crackdown on dissent. [17]

The Philippine independent news organization Vera Files notes that since President Rodrigo Duterte
declared the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People's Army terrorist organizations
under the Human Security Act of 2007, individuals and organizations who have been red-tagged are
vulnerable to interception and recording of communication, detention without charges, restricted
travel and personal liberties, examination of bank records, and the seizure and sequestration of their
assets.[2] Reporters Without Borders notes that red-tagged individuals are vulnerable to death threats
and violence.[18] In some instances, targets of red-tagging are also harassed by accusations of
terrorism.[13]
According to CHR Spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia, this kind of labeling may have serious
consequences on the security of the groups or individuals that are being tagged. Additionally,
Karapatan states that this jeopardizes the initiatives of human rights organizations and defenders to
inform the public about the violation of rights in the Philippines. [19]
Karapatan Deputy Secretary General Roneo Clamor said that human rights defenders who are red-
tagged are not only illegally arrested, some are also killed. According to him, the National Task
Force (NTF) was made to hinder the human rights defenders to get justice for the victims. [20]

Extrajudicial killings[edit]
The CHR stated that red-tagging needs to be seen in the context of the increasing extrajudicial
killings in rural Philippines and the government's counterinsurgency program. [14][21] From July 2016 to
November 2019, Karapatan documented 293 victims of extrajudicial killings perpetrated in line with
the counterinsurgency program, with 167 defenders killed or an average of one to two HRDs killed
every week. At least 429 were victims of frustrated killings. [22] They also documented at least 14
massacres and hundreds of victims of extrajudicial killings (including 28 children) under President
Aquino's term.[23]
After redtagging of various personalities by Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade in October
2020, Senator Panfilo Lacson ordered the general summoned to senate hearing. [24] Defense
Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had also warned against making baseless accusations, indirectly
referring to Parlade's statements and double-downs.[25]

The Armed Forces of the Philippines surprisingly announced this week

that it was investigating Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr. after
he accused a journalist of “aiding terrorists by spreading lies.” The
military’s provost marshal was tapped to lead the investigation.

The big question is whether this action is a one-off, or whether

pressure against the military’s use of red-baiting tactics may finally be
having an impact.

The journalist in question, Tetch Torres-Tupas of the Philippine Daily

Inquirer, had earlier reported on a petition before the Supreme Court
that contained allegations that soldiers tortured members of an
Indigenous community. Activists and fellow journalists took Parlade’s
tirade as a threat to Tupas.

This is not the first time Parlade has courted controversy. As both a
government spokesman for an anti-communist task force and
commander of the military’s Southern Luzon Command, Parlade has
in recent months been on a “red-tagging” spree, publicly accusing
leftist activists but also journalists and celebrities of being either
members or supporters of the New People’s Army communist
insurgency.

Communist-baiting has long been part of the government’s counter-

insurgency campaign, and over the years has been linked to many
killings. The deadly practice has continued to the present. The United
Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights found in a
June 2020 report “red-tagging” in the Philippines has “posed a serious
threat to civil society and freedom of expression.”

The problem does not start and stop with Parlade. President Rodrigo
Duterte has frequently used “red tagging” to attack leftist critics of his
administration. In November, Duterte singled out Congressman
Carlos Zarate as a communist. In previous public statements, other
Duterte administration officials likewise “red-tagged” their critics.

“Red-tagging” constricts further the increasingly diminished

democratic space in the Philippines, where activists, rights lawyers,
journalists, and even ordinary Filipinos on social media are under
threat. The military’s investigation into Parlade should be both
thorough and impartial, and this should be the start of larger efforts to
hold to account all government officials who give a wink and a nod to
extrajudicial killings by their “red-tagging.”
Philippines: Cease dangerous
practice of red-tagging human
rights defenders
The Philippine authorities must refrain from ‘red-tagging’ human rights
defenders and activists, and amend the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 to
conform with international human rights law and standards, the
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said in a new
legal briefing published today.
In the Philippines, State authorities have branded human rights defenders, labor
leaders, public interest lawyers, journalists, political opposition, religious groups and
other activists as “terrorists” and/or “communists” without substantial proof of any
unlawful conduct, in a practice locally known as ‘red-tagging’.

The legal briefing, Danger in Dissent: Counterterrorism and Human Rights in the

Philippines, underscores how this practice often has deadly consequences, with many
of those red-tagged by State authorities being subsequently killed or injured by
unidentified assailants. There is often no effective investigation and accountability for
such killings or any accountability for the red-tagging by government officials.
“National security is never an excuse for violating human rights. The
dangerous practice of red-tagging patently violates international human rights
law and standards, including the rights to freedom of expression and
information, life, liberty and security of the person, fair trial, and freedoms of
association and peaceful assembly,” said Daron Tan, ICJ Associate
International Legal Adviser.
The legal briefing highlights how the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which may be used to
further extend the practice of red-tagging, is incompatible with international human
rights law and standards.

For instance, the Act contains an overbroad definition of terrorism, permits potentially
unwarranted government surveillance and requests for data, and allows the arrest and
detention of any person suspected of committing terrorist acts for up to 24 days without
a judicial warrant, among other problematic provisions. Despite these flawed provisions,
 in December 2021, the Supreme Court of the Philippines upheld the constitutionality of
most of the Act, only striking down two provisions of the Act.

The legal briefing also emphasizes the responsibility of social media companies to
respect human rights, consistent with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and
Human Rights, to the extent that the practice of red-tagging often takes places on social
media platforms.

“Social media companies, like Meta, have not taken sufficient steps to counter
red-tagging on its platforms that incites discrimination, hostility or violence, in
order to prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts linked to their
operations,” added Tan.
In light of the above concerns, the ICJ recommends that:

 National and local government officials must refrain from labeling human rights defenders as
“terrorists”. Any credible accusations of terrorist conduct must be pursued through the rule of
law, pursuant cognizable charges, compliance with due process and the right to a fair trial by a
competent independent and impartial court;

 The Department of Justice and Office of the Ombudsman should investigate and if warranted
prosecute individual government officials who engage in red-tagging in proper administrative
and criminal proceedings;

 Congress should amend the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 in order to conform with international
human rights law and standards pursuant to obligations under the ICCPR; and

 Social media companies should consistently observe their responsibility to respect human
rights, consistent with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, including, but
not limited to, taking further steps and increasing capacity to address red-tagging on its
platforms inciting discrimination, hostility or violence; engaging with civil society before
implementing policies impacting human rights; and applying the principles of transparency and
due process in the moderation of online content on the platform.

The Philippine government should end the “red-tagging” of activists as

rebels or supporters of the communist insurgency, Human Rights
Watch said today, releasing a video about the threatening practice and
its impact. The video features a human rights activist, a workers’ rights
advocate, and a journalist whom the authorities have red-tagged.

Red-tagging, also known as red-baiting, has been used for decades in

the Philippines in the government’s campaign against the communist
New People’s Army (NPA), which began in 1969. The
government’s counterinsurgency efforts include publicly accusing
activists, journalists, politicians, and others and their organizations of
being directly involved in the fighting or supporting the NPA. The
Philippine military has long been responsible for large numbers of
extrajudicial killings and torture of alleged communists.

“Red-tagging is a pernicious practice that targets people who often end

up being harassed or even killed,” said Carlos Conde, senior
Philippines researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Red-tagging is
rapidly shrinking the space for peaceful activism in the Philippines.”

Red-tagging has become deadlier since Rodrigo Duterte became

president in 2016. Duterte created the National Task Force on Ending
Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), with billions of
pesos at its disposal, making red-tagging his government’s official
policy. The task force is composed of, and headed by, former military
officials. It carries out red-tagging through its social media
posts and official pronouncements.

Civil society groups have called for the task force to

be defunded or abolished. Domestic human rights groups contend that
the task force’s red-tagging often precipitates violence against those
named. Karapatan, a domestic human rights group
whose members are often targets of red-tagging, says that dozens of
red-tagged activists have been killed or arrested. The United Nations
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
has denounced these killings.

In the Human Rights Watch video, Cristina Palabay, secretary-general

of Karapatan, describes how she was harassed and threatened with
rape and violence as part of the red-tagging. Mylene Cabalona,
president of the BPO Industry Employees’ Network, says that her work
to advocate for the welfare of call-center workers has led to threats
online, including accusations of rebel links. Cong Corrales, editor of
the Mindanao Gold Star Daily, a newspaper in the southern
Philippines, says he and has family have been accused of being
communist supporters because of his writing.

“Red-tagging is a key component of the Philippine government’s

abusive campaign against critical activists, journalists, and
politicians,” Conde said. “The United Nations, the European Union,
and influential governments should not merely denounce red-tagging,
but publicly call on President Duterte to end this deadly practice.”

Cristina Palabay, secretary general of the human rights organization Karapatan, told VOA at
least 78 people have been killed as a result of either red-tagging or anti-terrorism police
operations in the last year alone. There were also some 136 arrests, according to records
compiled by the group.

"More and more people are now in the firing line - things appear to only be getting worse,” said
Palabay.

Ibarra Gutierrez, a human rights lawyer and former member of the Philippine House of
Representatives, told VOA that while the Philippines has a long history of red tagging, the
current administration is the first to use the tactic openly.

“Red-tagging also occurred during prior administrations, but people at the top were still smart
enough to distance themselves from it – they would not outright condone the killings.

“Now we have officials in government who regularly use the tactic themselves - the levels of
shamelessness in the Philippines have reached an all-time high,” said Gutierrez.

For more than 50 years, the Philippine government has been mired in a civil war with the
Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA).

After peace talks to end the insurgency collapsed in 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte has since
accused the CPP and other left-wing groups of trying to “overthrow the government.” The
accusation comes alongside the enactment of a controversial anti-terror law in July last year.

Amid this heightened anti-terrorism campaign, those who express dissent may now find their
names appearing on lists, street tarpaulins or Facebook posts, accusing them of being
communist rebels. For some, the simple label is tantamount to a death sentence.
In a high-profile case last December, a red-tagged doctor and her husband were gunned down in
broad daylight by unknown assailants in the city of Guihulngan. Dr. Mary Rose Sancelan - who
had led her community’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic - had reportedly appeared on a
list from local militia group ‘Kagubak,’ which baselessly claimed Sancelan had links to the NPA.

Some local rights groups have long asserted that a ‘culture of red-tagging’ is ‘state-sponsored,’
but presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has repeatedly denied claims of a government-led
plan to accuse people of being communists.

While red-tagging has been embraced by many anti-communist groups, some Philippine state
officials have also used the tactic.

Last month, Facebook pages belonging to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) published
a list of academics and alumni from the University of the Philippines, claiming the individuals
were either deceased or current NPA rebels.

In an online statement following his red-tagging in the now-deleted list, former Philippine
Health Insurance Corporation CEO Alexander Padilla said: “I am appalled and disgusted [at]
how [the] government cavalierly plays with the lives of innocent people. I am now anxious for
me and for others on the list, whose lives are now placed in peril.”

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana called the list an “unpardonable gaffe,” while the AFP’s Civil
Military Operations Office (CMOO) released a statement to “apologize for those who were
inadvertently affected by inconsistencies.”

The CMOO also said that personnel responsible would be held accountable, with the
Presidential Palace urging the military to ‘exercise prudence’ when disseminating information
online.

____________

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict ( NTF-ELCAC) is a task
force organized by the government of the Philippines to respond and raise awareness to the
ongoing communist rebellion in the Philippines.

THE WHOLE OF NATION APPROACH

On December 2018, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte

issued Executive Order 70 (EO 70) synchronizing the government's
instrumentalities of power with the capabilities of private sector
stakeholders to end 50 years of deceit, lies and atrocities
committed by communist terrorists against the Filipino people.

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict is

the Whole-of-Nation Approach in defeating the local communist
terrorist group and obtaining sustainable and inclusive peace
throughout the Philippines.
GOOD GOVERNANCE
Recognizing good governance as the solution to communist
terrorism, EO 70 involves all government agencies—from the
national to the barangay level, with delineated roles and
responsibilities in the Whole-of-Nation approach.

Unlike in the past when local chief executives left the insurgency problem solely to the AFP
and the Philippine National Police (PNP), EO 70 is the collaboration of various Government
agencies and their corresponding units at all levels, providing practical solutions to solve
issues on the ground.

MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH
As the Whole-of-Nation Approach addresses the motivation
for insurgency, there will be no reason for the communist
terrorist group to agitate, organize and mobilize  the
vulnerable sectors and communities.
Clusters
The NTF-ELCAC is composed of 12 operational clusters. As part of the Whole-of-
Nation Approach, each cluster which is compromised of relevant government agencies
committed to serving within its operating principle.
 
The NTF-ELCAC is headed by President Duterte, sitting as NTF Commander and
Chairman; National Security Adviser Hermogenes C. Esperon Jr. as Vice-chairman; and
Allen A. Capuyan, as Executive Director.

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is a task force
organized by the government of the Philippines to respond and raise awareness to the
ongoing communist rebellion in the Philippines.[1]

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) was formed on
December 4, 2018, pursuant to Executive Order No. 70 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte[2] which
institutionalized the government's "whole-of-nation" approach in tackling the ongoing communist
rebellion in the Philippines led by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing,
the New People's Army (NPA). The "whole-of-nation" approach is contrasted to prior policy which
favored irregular peace talks with communist rebels. [1] The executive order was announced to the
public on December 10.[2]
The formation of the NTF-ELCAC followed the formal termination of peace talks between the
Philippine government and the NPA when President Rodrigo Duterte issued Presidential
Proclamation 360 on November 23, 2017, citing continued attacks by the NPA despite the then
ongoing peace negotiations. The CPP and NPA were likewise formally designated as terrorist
organizations by the government.[3]

Campaign against suspected front organizations[edit]

The NTF-ELCAC maintains a campaign against the ongoing communist rebellion in the Philippines,
as well as against groups that it claims to be front organizations of the communist group.[4] It
maintains that it has the duty to warn the public against "dubious groups with links to communist
terrorist organizations".[5] The task force's allegations has been criticized as an act of "red-tagging".
The NTF-ELCAC on its part falsely claim that the term "red-tagging" was invented by the CPP-
NPA[6] and the usage of such term is a move to discredit the task force's allegations. [4]
Among the notable groups the NTF-ELCAC has alleged to be the communist rebel front is
the Makabayan bloc, whose members were elected to the House of Representatives. The
allegations of the NTF-ELCAC is an "official stance" of the task force.[4] The NTF-ELCAC also made
the same accusation against left-wing human rights organization Karapatan, which filed a lawsuit
against the task force for violations against Philippine Act on Crimes Against International
Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity in response. [7]
The NTF-ELCAC's also conducted background checks on organizers of community pantries set up
by volunteers as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic for possible links to the CPP-NPA,[8] which
led to calls to defund the NTC-ELCAC.[9][10][11]

Barangay Development Program[edit]

The Barangay Development Program (BDP) is a socioeconomic program of the NTF-ELCAC for
barangays that have been deemed free from communist rebel influence by the national government.
It is described by the task force as an approach to address the root causes of insurgency such as
"hunger, disease, poverty, injustice and hopelessness" so that the communities would be less
susceptible to fall under the influence of the communist insurgents. [12][13] The CPP has downplayed
the BDP, calling it a "band-aid solution" and believed that the program does not satisfy the
"fundamental demand for genuine land reform and the clamor for respect of ancestral lands". [14]

Balik Loob Program[edit]

The Balik Loob Program provides a mechanism for former communist rebels who surrendered to the
government to reintegrate to mainstream society.[15]