Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 25) — Lawmakers from the House of Representatives have filed a bill seeking the criminalization of red-tagging, saying the act poses a danger to people’s constitutional right to freedom of expression and right to political belief.
“Red-tagging should be criminalized for two simple reasons: it is committed through the use of public funds, and it has an injurious and irreversible impact on the victims,” said House Bill No. 9437.
The bill was introduced by Reps. Carlos Zarate, Edcel Lagman, Jose Belmonte, Pablo Ortega, Eufemia Cullamat, Ferdinant Gaite, Arlene Brosas, France Castro, and Sarah Jane Elago.
It alleges that under the administration, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has become the “chief implementer of the policy of red-tagging.”
The measure also said any red-tagged person or organization then becomes subject to harassment, death threats and surveillance, among others, and could be a prelude to disappearances and killings.
“Red-tagging has an injurious and irreversible impact on the victims since once an individual or group or organization is red-tagged, the stigma attaches,” it said.
Under the bill, any public official or employee who red tags a person shall be punished with imprisonment or be fined, suffer perpetual disqualification to hold public office, or face administrative cases.
In April, President Rodrigo Duterte was urged by Senate Minority Leader Dranklin Drilon to certify as urgent a bill seeking to criminalize red-tagging in the country.
Filed by Drilon in March, Senate Bill 2121 seeks to impose a 10-year imprisonment for people found guilty of red-tagging, or those who label persons or organizations as state enemies or terrorists. Those found guilty will also be perpetually banned from holding public office, according to the bill.
