Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Wednesday, April 28, called on President Duterte to certify as urgent the bill that would criminalize red-tagging.
Drilon said it is "imperative" that Duterte endorse the approval of his Senate Bill No. 2121, after Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra expressed support for the measure.
Guevarra was quoted as saying in a report that making red-tagging a criminal offense in the Philippines "may help reduce the problem of reckless endangerment" by state agents. He asked Congress to consider passing a law that would define and punish red-tagging.
"With the opinion of the Secretary of Justice, we urge President Duterte to certify as urgent the passage of Senate Bill 2121," Drilon said in a text message.
"The opinion of the Secretary of Justice that there is a gap in the law, i.e., that red tagging is presently not a criminal offense under our laws, makes the passage of SB 2121, which we filed, imperative," he added.
The minority leader lauded Guevarra for pushing for the enactment of an anti-red-tagging law.
SB No. 2121, or the proposed "Act Defining and Penalizing Red-Tagging" filed by Drilon last March 24, seeks to penalize red-tagging with imprisonment of up to 10 years.
The bill defines "red-tagging" as the act of labeling, vilifying, branding, naming, accusing, harassing, persecuting, stereotyping or caricaturing individuals, groups or organizations as state enemies, left-leaning, subversives, communists, or terrorists as part of a counter-insurgency or anti-terrorism strategy or program by any state actor, such as law enforcement agent, paramilitary or military personnel.
Aside from facing a 10-year jail time, person convicted of red-tagging would also be disqualified from holding public office.
Recently, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) earned the ire of the public, including government officials and lawmakers, for linking organizers of community pantries to communist rebels.
Its spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., also admitted to conducting background checks on the volunteers, particularly on Ana Patricia Non, whose inititiave in Maginhawa Street, Quezon City has spawned over 300 similar donation-driven efforts throughout the country.