A red ballpen is used to correct the student’s test paper. If the paper is polished, all that is left is a red mark of “100%” or “excellent.” Agencies and officials in the executive and legislature, on the other hand, were doing convoluted and superfluous markings to persons accused of “opposing” these government agencies through red-baiting or red-tagging. Now comes the Supreme Court, finally deciding: Instead of the red-tagging institution/s being excellent or 100, their score is failing.
Binagsak na, ginamit pa ang pulang bolpen pambutas ng papel!
That seems to be what happened. Clap our hands for the laudable, carefully crafted High Court ruling. It stunningly indicated: “Quite like the development of the Rule on Amparo, the damages inflicted by red-baiting evolve too: They start from the psychological before they turn physical.” Very reassuring words followed: “Amid a history of shifting social and political ties, we affirm the Judiciary’s sworn duty to see to it that the protection of every right guaranteed in the Constitution remains constant for all.”
Thanks to Siegfred D. Deduro, the one red-tagged. He did not sleep on his right.
International organizations acknowledge red-tagging as a form of harassment and intimidation. The SC news release noted that “labelling a person ‘red’ often comes with frequent surveillance, direct harassment, and in some instances, eventual death.”
Very visible posters of Deduro’s photo had statements suggesting his association with the communists, but the public was misled by the posters.
The SC announced: “As Deduro’s petition was not groundless nor lacking in merit, the (regional trial court) should not have dismissed the case without requiring Maj. Gen. (Eric) Vinoya to first file a return. Under the Rule, within 72 hours after service of the writ, the respondent shall file a verified written return stating their lawful defenses, the actions they have taken to determine the fate or whereabouts of the aggrieved party, and all other information in their possession relevant to the threat against the aggrieved party.
“In this case, by dismissing the petition without requiring (Vinoya) to first file a return, the RTC effectively denied both parties due process.
“The Court further stressed that although it is uncertain whether such ‘red-baiting’ threats ripen into actual abduction or killing of supposed ‘reds,’ Deduro should not be expected to ‘await his own abduction, or worse, death, or even that the supposed responsible persons directly admit their role in the threats to [his] life, liberty, or security…’”
The poster caption, “DISCIPLES OF THE CPP-NPA-NDF IN THE CITY! FOOLING AND DECEIVING THE PEOPLE! HOLDING RALLIES HERE AND THERE! THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING FOR THE COUNTRY!” turned out to be the one deceiving people in various locations in Iloilo City.
And posting it on social media? Dreadful disinformation.
Demands from human rights advocates here and abroad have been repeated concerning the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict because, according to them, the NTF-ELCAC has kept on red-tagging students, teachers, professors, journalists, lawyers, and other progressive individuals and groups.
Meanwhile, national government communicators and LGU PIOs must help in all this. But they must first read and understand the July 4, 2023 ruling (released on the SC website just last Wednesday); otherwise, the red-tagging officials will merely stand by their actions and pronouncements and will be backed up again by the information and communication officers. Huwag naman sana.
(I would like to ask our readers to read the National Task Force’s press statement dated May 10, 2024 at https://www.ntfelcac.org/post/ntf-elcac-bats-for-balance-between-civil-liberties-and-terror-prevention. The first three paragraphs gave good spirits to the SC’s decision, but the NTF-ELCAC can no longer hide its disappointment in the last two paragraphs. It said in part: “(This) ruling may be seen as a minor setback in strategies to end local armed conflict…” Wala rin. Can they truly support an end to red-tagging?)
Speaking of disinformation and red-tagging of political dissenters, Mr. Deduro chose to remain matipuno (or nagpakalalaki) and filed a lawsuit to fight for his right. May more people like him have the courage to fight red-tagging. There is a lot out there.
Sa kababaihan, iba rin.
Chapter 12 of “Games, changes, and fears: the Philippines from Duterte to Marcos Jr.” (ISEAS Publishing, 2024) directed the book readers to examine sexism and misogyny which were part of politics of former president Duterte by way of disinformation. Dis/mis/information and fake news reinforced gender stereotypes and marginalized women in the country, according to Dr. Jean Encinas-Franco’s chapter titled “Understanding gendered disinformation in the Philippines and its implications to women in politics” (the book was co-edited by Dr. Aries A. Arugay and her).Leila de Lima and Leni Robredo, Encinas-Franco wrote, were female political leaders who braved misogynistic politics. Part of Encinas-Franco’s conclusion tackles the need for the Philippines to set up critical policy interventions protecting and creating a safe space for women in the political field. Interestingly, the female author was also subjected to lies propagated online in 2022, while her colleagues were united in protecting her right and that of other members of academe to share their views.
DC Alviar
Professor DC Alviar serves as a member of the steering committee of the Philippine International Studies Organization (PHISO). He was part of National University’s community extension project that imparted the five disciplines of a learning organization (Senge, 1990) to communities in a local government unit. He writes and edits local reports for Mega Scene. He graduated with a master’s degree in development communication from the University of the Philippines Open University in Los Baños. He recently defended a dissertation proposal for his doctorate degree in communication at the same graduate school under a Philippine government scholarship grant. He was editor-in-chief of his high school paper Ang Ugat and the Adamson News.
