In a recent report, Amnesty International has raised concerns that the Philippine government is leveraging Facebook to infringe upon the rights of young activists, focusing specifically on the issue of “red-tagging.” The practice involves labeling individuals or groups as communist rebels or terrorists without supporting evidence, often leading to grave human rights violations such as arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances. For more in-depth analysis, the full report is available.
This intensification comes in the wake of the 2020 Anti-Terrorism Act, a controversial piece of legislation that has seen activists subjected to online harassment and surveillance. Damini Satija, head of Amnesty Tech, emphasized the role of Facebook, owned by Meta, in enabling this red-tagging that exacerbates threats against government opponents. A significant player in this campaign, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), has been known to label student organizations as communist “front organizations” on Facebook without credible evidence.
Amnesty International has called for an immediate cessation of red-tagging and other forms of intimidation against young activists. It also recommended the abolition of the NTF-ELCAC and demanded an independent and transparent investigation into these practices. Historically, red-tagging has surged since the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, especially after the 2017 collapse of peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines. This uptick was further institutionalized by Executive Order No. 70, which introduced the “Whole-of-Nation approach in defeating Local Communist Terrorist Groups,” leading to the establishment of the NTF-ELCAC.
In a significant judicial development, the Philippine Supreme Court ruled on May 8, 2024, that red-tagging poses severe threats to individuals’ right to life, liberty, and security. This ruling overturned a previous 2023 lower court decision that had dismissed an activist’s petition for protection. Carlos Conde, a senior Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, noted that the ruling acknowledges the suffering caused by red-tagging. The decision aligns with concerns from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who warned about the divisive potential of the government’s counter-insurgency strategy. More information is accessible in a discussion with Human Rights Watch and the UN report found here.