2 MIN READ

By MONICA CUTIN
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY – On Independence Day, youth party-list Kabataan sounded the alarm over a tarpaulin hanged in the central business district of San Fernando City, La Union tagging its leaders as “communist recruiters”.

In an alert posted on Facebook, the group’s regional chapter in Ilocos said their members saw the malicious poster hanging in the city’s park.

They noted that before the incident, official police and military social media accounts shared edited photos of their members, leaders and activities linking them to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). According to them, online trolls amplified the posts and also uploaded similar materials.

The poster contained the photographs of Kabataan Party-list (KPL) Vice President for Luzon Florence Kang, and Anakbayan-Ilocos secretary general Jennybeth Mariano and members Nino Oconer, Katherine Glenn Mendoza and Emir Catbagan.

In an online interview, Mariano explained that the intensified red-tagging and harassment are part of the “grand scheme” of the Duterte administration to stifle dissent, which includes the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Law.

“The government and its minions are resorting to cowardly actions like red-tagging. Since they are unable to provide proofs that are acceptable in court, they anchor on conditioning people’s mind to make their attacks against dissenters, especially activists acceptable,” said Mariano.

According to her, even without the measure, the Duterte administration is already on a rampage against its critics. She stressed that once the anti-terror law is in place, nothing would stop the government from tagging, arresting and detaining critics and dissenters.

The Anakbayan leader underscored that red-tagging puts the lives of those maliciously accused and their family in danger.

“We condemn red-tagging for the dangers it brings. Only state forces and their minions, who have been maligning our organization and members, would benefit from this cowardly act,” Mariano said.

She added that instead of going after critics, the government should instead “listen to their issues and recommendations.”

“Rather than pushing the anti-terror measure, the Duterte administration should put government efforts in curbing the COVID pandemic,” she said.

The police and military have tagged Anakbayan, along with other activist youth organizations, as alleged fronts of the communist-led New People’s Army (NPA).

Under Philippine laws, the CPP and membership in the group is not prohibited. The antiquated Anti-Subversion Law, which made the affiliation to CPP unlawful, was repealed in 1992.

In December 2017, President Duterte declared the CPP and the New People’s Army as terrorist organization in accordance with the Human Security Act. A competent court must first affirm the designation to take effect. To date, the Regional Trial Court in Manila, where the Department of Justice filed the petition, has yet to release its decision.

However, rights group noted that past and present administrations have used the allege links of groups and individuals with the CPP to justify arrests and filing of criminal charges. # nordis.net