‘Red-tagged’ groups, AFP/PNP talks pushed; gov’t officials hit

By Gina Dizon    

SAGADA, Mountain Province - A dialogue among ‘red tagged’ persons and organizations was urged by representatives from the non-government sector in the regular quarterly meeting of the Committee on Indigenous Peoples Concerns (CIPC) held via zoom even as government officials involved were charged in court.

        This following alleged ‘red tagging’ cases presented by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) during said zoominar facilitated by the CIPC secretariat National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the Regional Development Council- National Economic Development Authority (RDC-NEDA) held August 27 this year.

         Brigadier General Henry Doyaoen of the 503rd Brigade then present during the zoom meeting said he was in favor of the dialogue.

         Lawyer Lyndon Morales of CHR presented alleged cases of red tagging or discrimination on account of political beliefs that reached the government body during said zoom meeting.

        Red-tagging cases identified came from complainant personalities and groups against respondents from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in different instances on Facebook, Twitter and print media beginning January this year.   

        Cases  that reached CHR were  from complainant Sherwin de Vera  correspondent of Northern Dispatch against respondent PCOl Allan Rae Co,  Baguio City Chief of Police;  complainant  Windel Bolinget Secretary General of  the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA)  against  Sadanga Mayor Gabino Ganggangan and owner/s administrator/s of FB  pages/ account Osto ay Damag;  complainant Pinatud of Metro Baguio  against respondents “Phoebe”  of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) “Cyrus” brother of “Phoebe” and three other John Does allegedly from the Philippine Army.

          Facebook incident-based complaints were from complainant  Kabataan Partylist Cordillera against respondents  owner/s or administrator/s of FB pages/accounts “Kabalikat StarTroopers (5THInfantry Division, Phil. Army), “Camp Major Dennis Molintas”, “PnpMountain Province”, PnpMtprovince Sabangan”, “Timek ti Cagayan”, and “Shirly Ann Angs”; complainant Northern Dispatch correspondents against  Owners/administrators of FB accounts/pages “NTF-ELCAC (National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict)”, “Concepcion Xavier ”, and “Irene Bertiz”;  Complainant  Kabataan Partylist Cordillera against respondent  owner/s or administrator/s of FB pages/accounts “Kabalikat Star Troopers (5TH Infantry Division, Phil. Army), “Camp Major Dennis Molintas”, “PnpMountain Province”, PnpMtprovince Sabangan”, “Timek ti Cagayan”, and “Shirly Ann Angs”; and Complainant Youth Act Now! Against Tyranny (YANAT) against respondents  owner/s or administrator/s of FB pages/accounts “Charlie Wildcats” (54thIB, 5THID, PA - Kabalikat Star Troopers), “Joel Campilis”,“Camp Major Dennis Molintas”, “Police Regional Off ice Cordillera”, and “Paraiso Kaigorotan”.

        Other cases included those which appeared in Twitter accounts of  respondent Philippines Movement for Peace and Development, - owner/s or administrator/s of FB Pages/accounts “1 Philippines Movement for Peace and Development ”, “La Trinidad MPS” as forwarded by  Complainant Northern Dispatch (NORDIS).

        Another  red tagging complaint reached the CHR from the  Information Bureau Chief of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)  through the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Hum an Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL ) Complaint Mechanism on behalf of  victim, alleged high-ranking CPP -NPA-NDF official and Executive Committee and former Secretary of the Regional White Area Committee of the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC), and founder of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) against respondent Armed Forces of the Philippines thru former AFP Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (Chief of Staff) Gen. Felimon T. Santos, Jr. and National Security Adviser Hermogenes C. Esperon Jr.

        Participating nongovernment organizations said the government’s “whole of nation approach” be genuinely implemented in achieving its intents of involving the private  sector in nation building  and not to red-tag peoples and non -government organizations especially who are part of  community development.  

         Former La Trinidad mayor and former Benguet Vice Gov. Edna Tabanda said 'red tagging' is not only a military issue but a social and community concern.  

         Other concerns presented during the CIPC meeting were the proposed webinar series on indigenous peoples, innovation in culture and the arts and autonomy; status of  the ancestral domains sustainable development  protection plans  (ADSDPPs)  in CAR, and the status of Minahang Bayan applications in  the Cordillera Administrative Region.