MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the spate of government officials' red-tagging has become “disturbing” as he backed legislation to criminalize the practice of linking personalities to communist groups.
In an interview with ANC’s Headstart on Thursday, Guevarra said in the past few months, complaints of red-tagging were frequent.
Related Stories
“People have raised their voice against it so might as well have one because the frequency of this act so called red-tagging has really become quite disturbing,” he added.
National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict spokespersons Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade and Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy have again caught the criticism due to red-tagging, this time of organizers of community pantries.
Guevarra said that if lawmakers are inclined to prosecute the practice, “appropriate legislation should be enacted.”
“Right now, the acts considered or deemed red-tagging are not punishable exactly for what it is so… the best that could be done would be to file complaints which are somehow related but not directly fitting to the act being complained of,” he said.
The DOJ chief added: “So that’s really congressional initiative authority if they want to prosecute people who do red-tagging then the appropriate legislation should be passed.”
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon in March filed Senate Bill No. 2121, the proposed bill to criminalize red-tagging. On Wednesday, he renewed his push for the bill and urged President Rodrigo Duterte to certify it as urgent.
But the DOJ chief noted that the Duterte’s administration has already set a legislative agenda and Drilon’s bill does not fall under it.
“The prerogative of president, he may or may not grant the request to certify the bill as urgent, but looking at the current priorities of this present administration, I mean the legislative agenda, it doesn’t look very probable that the president will issue a certificate for urgency,” he added.
Complaints
Guevarra said no complaint has been filed against Parlade over red-tagging, or over red-tagging in general before the Department of Justice.
But Parlade, Badoy and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon are facing two suits before the Office of the Ombudsman.
In 2020, rights alliance group Karapatan filed complaints of violation of international and domestic humanitarian law against the three and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Undersecretary Mocha Uson. Meanwhile, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers filed administrative raps against Esperon, Parlade and Badoy over red-tagging.
Anti-terrorism law
Asked if the increase if the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 may have emboldened military officials to red-tag, Guevarra explained that while he cannot speculate on what is on the minds of our security sector, it is possible that these are linked.
He pointed out that the anti-terrorism law, which is facing 37 petitions before the Supreme Court, punishes membership in terrorist organizations.
Guevarra said it is “very possible” that security sector are emboldened to red-tag following the anti-terrorism law.
The SC’s oral arguments on the petitions will resume on May 4. NSA Esperon may be called on to explain what is the probable basis of red-tagging of community pantry organizers. — Kristine Joy Patag