Student leaders, activists condemn red-tagging incident, call to pass Human Rights Defenders Ordinance
By Kate Merindo | May 16, 2024
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Student leaders and activists voiced their concerns on Wednesday, May 15, against the recent red-tagging incident from PULAkero Facebook page.
“Naalarma ako, syempre may bahid talaga ng takot. Kasi sino ba namang hindi matatakot sa ganoong branding sa’yo, diba? Tinawag kang ‘Communist-Terrorist Group Defender’ kahit wala namang katotohanan yung gano’ng mga bintang sa’yo,” Kessha Carreon, Vice Chairperson for Luzon of UP Solidaridad and a victim of the recent red-tagging posts by PULAkero, said in an interview.
PULAkero labeled Carreon as a “terorista defender” with her photo on Friday, May 10, after she expressed her opinion on some of the accounts who disapprove the Human Rights Defenders (HRD) Ordinance in a public poll created by Sangguniang Panlungsod ng Baguio (SPB).
“Hinog na ang panahon sa Baguio para ipasa ang [HRD] Ordinance…lahat tayo may human rights, at kailangan lamang na pinaninindigan at ipinaglalaban natin ang mga ito, especially yung mga taong nangunguna sa frontline, sa paglo-lobby ng ganitong mga sitwasyon or kung may mga atake man sa ating karapatang pantao, yung mga defenders,” Carreon added.
David Patawaran, a student and member of the Tongtongan ti Umili — Cordillera Peoples Alliance, was involved in PULAkero’s post of screenshots exposing the names of those who “heart”-reacted in SPB’s poll.
“It’s very disturbing and very concerning lalo na’t hindi lang kasi organization yung binabanggit nila kundi mga pangalan na rin ng mga tao. And syempre, may kaakibat kasi ito na toll sa mental health at kahit sa motivation ng hindi lang ng mga aktibista eh, kundi ng mga citizens who choose to criticize or be heard kahit online,” Patawaran said in an interview.
“We condemn these attacks on our democratic rights, especially na these trolls are cloaked behind anonymity online,” he added.
Meanwhile, Euan Selmo, a councilor of the Supreme Student Government of the University of the Cordilleras Senior High School, was also included in the posted screenshots of PULAkero.
“The reaction to that post is more of an indicator that this kind of ordinance should actually be passed. Even from just a Facebook post, people are getting so volatile,” Selmo said in an interview. “Just imagine if they do it in real life.”
On Monday, May 13, SPB informed the public on the removal of hate comments and blocking troll accounts and pages that red-tagged individuals who supported HRD ordinance in the posted poll.
“It is unfortunate that troll accounts are flooding the comments section to hurl insults at those expressing support for the proposed ordinance and to red-tag specific individuals. This only further proves that there is urgency in passing this proposed ordinance,” SPB stated in a Facebook post.
The HRD Ordinance “seeks to safeguard human rights defenders in the city from red-tagging, threats, and political vilification” according to SPB Facebook post on Thursday, May 9.
