Dispatch from Crame No. 1070:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima on Red-tagging of Atty. Carlos Castillo Jr. of IBP Zambales Chapter

I join the legal community in condemning the red-tagging of fellow lawyer, Atty. Carlos Castillo, Jr. of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)-Zambales Chapter.

For responding to the call for urgent legal assistance of arrested youth activists, Atty. Castillo is now being called a terrorist. A death sentence for anyone who is considered an enemy of the State. Another lawyer, Atty. Angelo Karlo Guillen, who was stabbed by unidentified assailants last March, was also previously red-tagged for responding to detained activists in Iloilo City.

Goaded by the NTF-ELCAC, the vilification and harassment of those who stand for truth and justice continues. A threat to our lives and our practice of the legal profession also imperils the lives and future of those who seek legal recourse, especially the poor. The government's response to our call for government aid and efficient health programs amid the pandemic is red-tagging and more red-tagging. This must stop.

I urge my colleagues in the Senate to urgently act on the immediate passage of Senate Bill No. 2121 criminalizing red-tagging; and on my proposed Senate Resolution No. 689 seeking to enact measures that would secure the safety and welfare of professionals serving the people and fighting against injustice in our country.

End red-tagging! Defund NTF-ELCAC! Ibalik ang hustisya!

(Access the handwritten copy of Dispatch from Crame No. 1070 here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_1070)