Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said the inquiry is an “important step in coming up with a clear picture of how prevalent red-tagging is across the country and its detrimental effects on the conduct of human rights work, and what accountability mechanisms can be adopted to put a stop to it.”
Amnesty International Philippines (AIPh) launched their October 14 report titled “I Turned My Fear Into Courage,” summing up how the authorities have used social media, Facebook in significant cases, to stifle dissent through red-tagging. They dubbed Facebook as a “cheap and effective” way for the government to harass and intimidate critics.
The livelihoods of fisherfolk in Zambales have been largely affected by the rising tension in the West Philippine Sea and the lower catch due to recurring seasonal loss called “sigwada.” But instead of due assistance, they are subjected to so-called “visits” and interrogation by soldiers.