TACLOBAN CITY– Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration to stop red-tagging, urging both the government and companies to protect workers’ rights.
HRW senior researcher Carlos Conde emphasized the importance of ending this practice, which labels individuals as communists or insurgents without proof.
The Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) reported 456 red-tagging incidents from January to June 2024, with women being disproportionately targeted.
HRW’s recent report also highlighted the harassment and threats faced by union leaders, calling red-tagging a “serious threat” to labor rights.
Activists, including lawyer Aaron Pedrosa, urged the government to prosecute violators of labor rights and prioritize the Human Rights Defenders Bill, which seeks to criminalize red-tagging.
Pedrosa warned that without action, labor leaders and activists will continue to face violence and harassment.
Despite these calls, Pres. Marcos has resisted disbanding the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), the agency accused of spearheading red-tagging.
HRW’s report underscores the need for the Philippine government to protect workers’ rights and end red-tagging, which has led to heightened threats and violence against labor activists.
(RONALD O. REYES)
