Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago denounced the continuing red-tagging of activists and academic institutions, emphasizing it endangers the youth and others who are being subjected to the “deadly” practice.
“Hindi pwedeng trial by publicity, part of public opinion, o sa social media na hinuhusgahan ‘yung mga organizations [at] list of personalities dahil tila ‘yung red-tagging [ay] nagiging license to kill ng mga law enforcement and other rogue elements in our society,” Elago said in an online discussion with campus publications on Wednesday, March 10.
Elago stressed that the recent tagging of 38 colleges and universities in the country as “recruitment havens” of the New People’s Army violates their right to due process, which deprives them of the chance to defend themselves.
“[R]ed-baiting discredits those who were being targeted, undermine the work they do, and sensationalizes lives […] just to scandalize critics, opposition, and all those who are reporting the trust,” she said.
According to College Editors Guild of the Philippines National Secretariat Anton Narciso, red-tagging is one of the issues campus journalists continue to face, citing recent attacks on student publications in the University of the Philippines and in other regions.
“Bagamat nakakatakot po talaga ang red-tagging, kinakailangan na collectively labanan […] dahil wala tayong ibang panghahawakan at wala tayong ibang sasaligan kundi ang ating kolektibong pakikipaglaban,” Narciso said.
This mirrors the call of various student publications to repeal R.A. 7079 or the Campus Journalism Act of 1991, and instead, pass a bill that will uphold genuine campus press freedom.
“It’s high time na meron na tayong solid protection for student journalists, considering that these publications don’t do anything but report the truth,” Tinig ng Plaridel Editor-in-Chief Cristina Chi said.
Chi revealed that her publication received death threats, labelling them as “terrorist reporters” through text messages.
“[T]hey just release stories about the community tapos biglang may red-tagging nang nagaganap,” Chi said.
“At its core, these red-tagging or [similar] actions have no place in our society,” she added.
Comments