Response to media queries on red-tagging

Q: Sa red-tagging, practical and necessary po ba to have it criminalized? Justified po ba ang sinasabi ng NICA and military na truth-tagging at hindi red-tagging ang kanilang ginagawa?

A: The proposal is worth looking into.

With the state forces' penchant for red-tagging government dissenters, there must be complementary accountability for such acts that could constitute abuse of authority, political bias and disregard for free exercise of views.

Red-tagged individuals have also become target of killings, harassment and threats, and the impunity persists because no one is punished for such acts.

Right now, victims of red-tagging can resort to filing of administrative cases before the Ombudsman, but which appears to have little dent.

Going to the court for a writ of amparo and writ of habeas data, which are both aimed at protecting one's right to life, liberty, and security against being red-tagged is also an option, but has no punitive sanctions.

(Note: In his dissenting opinion in Zarate vs. Aquino III, Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen cited a 2011 journal article defined red-baiting as: "the act of labelling, branding, naming and accusing individuals and/ or organizations of being left-leaning, subversives, communists or terrorists (used as) a strategy...by State agents, particularly law enforcement agencies and the military, against those perceived to be 'threats' or 'enemies of the State'.")

Ni-re-red-tag din ba ng Philippine military, which is mandated to secure our borders from foreign intrusion, ang Chinese Communist Party?

Q: Also sir, you admonished Gen. Parlade for saying malaking kalokohan ang peace talks. Ano po ang tingin nyo sa ganung statement? Paano po kaya maipagpapatuloy ang peace talks ngayon samantalang may verbal attacks po si PRRD sa leadership ng CPP at sa Makabayan bloc (na nag-de-deny naman po na affiliated sa Left).

A: Hindi kalokohan ang peace talks. Tandaan natin na P65 billion ang budget ng BARRM noong nakaraang taon dahil na rin sa matagumpay na peace talks.

At hindi ba kapayapaan din daw ang pakay ng paglalagay ng P19 bilyon na pondo sa 2021 para sa NTF-ELCAC?

Also, P300 million daw ang nakukuha ng mga rebelde sa extortion, ayon sa awtoridad. Ipagpalagay natin na totoo ito, barya lang ito kumpara sa P65 billion na inilaan para sa inisyatibang pangkapayapaan. Parang 300 pesos at P65,000 ang comparison. Lamang ng tatlong zero ang bilyon.

The challenge now is to ensure the money is spent well through good governance. All parties in these talks should learn a lesson or two from the MILF peace accord and pursue a similar route.

Ang importante ay bukas tayo lagi sa usapang pangkapayapaan at tugunan ang ugat ng rebelyon. Hindi paramihan ng patay ang labanan dito. Kung hindi natin tutugunan ang ugat ng pag-aaklas, hindi magkakaroon ng tunay na pag-unlad at kapayapaan.