We hope that the independent human rights experts of the UN Human Rights Committee will see through the warped logic of Justice Secretary Boying Remulla on his statements regarding redtagging.
Redtagging especially of State forces and their adjuncts has dire consequences on persons, families, organizations and communities – killings, arbitrary arrests and imprisonment, torture, enforced disappearances and more. Feigning ignorance on these consequences and packaging these threats as mere exercise of freedom of expression are clear signals of a policy of tolerance for human rights violations and impunity.
We hope that the independent human rights experts of the UN Human Rights Committee will see through the warped logic of Justice Secretary Boying Remulla on his statements regarding redtagging.
Redtagging especially of State forces and their adjuncts has dire consequences on persons, families, organizations and communities – killings, arbitrary arrests and imprisonment, torture, enforced disappearances and more. Feigning ignorance on these consequences and packaging these threats as mere exercise of freedom of expression are clear signals of a policy of tolerance for human rights violations and impunity.
We remind Sec. Remulla:
In its 2020 report on the public inquiry regarding the situation of human rights defenders, the Commission on Human Rights deemed that red-tagging results in the public stigmatization and delegitimization of dissent and constitutes a grave threat to the lives, security and liberty of human rights defenders. The CHR also called on the members of the executive branch of government to desist from red-tagging and labelling defenders as terrorists or enemies of the state and to prohibit the nefarious practice.
https://chr.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/CHRP-2020-Report-on-the-Situation-of-Human-Rights-Defenders.pdf
UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor also stated in a report that red-tagging is a “context-specific death threat in the Philippines.”
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G20/355/11/PDF/G2035511.pdf?OpenElement