Thursday, 9 May 2024
In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDEFEND ) welcomes the Supreme Court ruling on red-tagging in the face of continuing threats to the life and safety of human rights and environmental defenders in the country. The Court affirmed the pernicious impact of such practice which was institutionalized by the previous Duterte government and allowed by the present Marcos Jr. government. The ruling proved that red tagging poses a threat to people’s life, liberty, and security. It holds the government accountable for the practice of red-tagging and owned the responsibility for providing protection and security for Filipino citizens through the provision of the Writ of Amparo.
iDefend members continue to face red tagging especially by local authorities and private companies responsible for land-grabbing, large scale mining and encroachment into ancestral lands. Red tagging erodes their civic spaces and exposes them to daily harassment, psychological stress and administrative sanctions.
A “whole of nation” approach against red tagging must be implemented if the government is to eliminate this threat to citizens’ life, liberty and security. iDefend urges other branches of the government to follow suit and urgently legislate an anti-red tagging law, investigate and prosecute those responsible for red tagging and actively take steps to end this practice altogether.