“This advocacy is especially vital considering the odious impact and chilling effect that red-tagging has on the work of journalists in delivering news to the public.”

CAGAYAN DE ORO — Volunteer lawyers from a group fighting disinformation announced that they already have information of people who allegedly red-tagged Cagayan de Oro-based journalist Leonardo Vicente “Cong” Corrales on social media platform Facebook.

This came following the complaint filed by Corrales and the volunteer lawyers from the Movement Against Disinformation (MAD) before the National Privacy Commission (NPC) in 2023 against Meta, the parent company of Facebook, after the latter allegedly denied Corrales’ request for information on people behind the red-tagging attacks online.

“Cong and the volunteer lawyers of MAD recognize that this is just the first step towards achieving complete relief and justice,” MAD said in a statement.

Read: Cagayan de Oro journalist files complaint vs Meta to unmask anonymous red-taggers

The anti-disinformation group did not mention the information source or any details about the suspected red-taggers. MAD President Antonio La Viña, one of Corrales’ lawyers, wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday, July 17, that they “will proceed to have this investigated by the proper authorities.”

In 2019, Corrales and other progressive organizations, including the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), were tagged as supporters of terrorism on a propaganda poster plastered on the fence of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) church in Barangay Agusan, Cagayan de Oro. 

There was also a flyer in the same year claiming that there was a P1 million bounty on Corrales’ death and accusing him of facing a “rape with murder case.”

He was also one of the red-tagged journalists seen in flyers in 2020, which were sent by an anonymous group in front of ABS-CBN Cagayan de Oro an hour after several journalists and media workers showed support against the ABS-CBN shutdown.

Corrales, who had been considered as Cagayan de Oro’s most red-tagged journalist since the incident took place in 2019, expressed gratitude to MAD lawyers. “With this development, we inch forward to holding to account the cowardly organizations and individuals who resort to red-tagging to stifle the free and independent press,” he said.

Read: Red-tagged veteran journalist to gov’t: ‘We need laws to criminalize red-tagging’

The group’s firm resolve to hold red-taggers on social media accountable becomes more urgent, emphasizing the Supreme Court pronouncement that declared red-tagging as a threat to a person’s right to life, liberty, and security.

“This advocacy is especially vital considering the odious impact and chilling effect that red-tagging has on the work of journalists in delivering news to the public,” MAD said. “Thus, MAD will continue to take all measures to hold offenders accountable.”

Legal counsels from MAD also represented journalist Alfonso Tomas “Atom” Araullo in his P2-million civil case for damages after he was red-tagged by Lorraine Marie Badoy-Patrosa and Jeffrey Celiz in 2023. The Quezon City Regional Trial Court released a decision in December 2024 in favor of Araullo.

In a study launched by NUJP in 2024 titled “No Tag: Press Freedom for Pluralism,” the group documented 159 red-tagging incidents since 2016, the year that former president Rodrigo Duterte became the nation’s chief executive. The study showed 60 percent (or 96 out of 159) of red-tagging incidents were state-perpetrated.

Under Marcos Jr. presidency, on the other hand, the NUJP documented 26 red-tagging incidents as of December 2024.

Jonathan de Santos, NUJP chairperson, expressed hope that succeeding steps that Corrales and MAD take would lead to an end of dangerous red-tagging—the practice of labeling individuals and organizations as communists or terrorists without due process.

“This is a win not only for journalists but also for rights defenders and activists who have been targeted,” he told Bulatlat. (AMU, DAA)