The Supreme Court (SC) was asked by the Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA) to reverse a Court of Appeals (CA) decision that denied the group’s plea for a Writ of Amparo against the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict-NTF-ELCAC) and other law enforcement agencies. A Writ of Amparo “is a remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty and security is violated or threatened with violation by an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee, or of a private individual or entity.” In a petition filed on Monday, June 19, the CPA pleaded the SC for a temporary restraining order (TRO) that would stop immediately NTF-ELCAC and other agencies from linking the group and its members with the New People’s Army (NPA) in their social media posts and other publications. It also asked the SC to compel NTF-ELCAC and other government agencies to take down all existing social media posts and forms of publicity which tag the group and its officers and members as communist-terrorists. Aside from NTF-ELCAC, also named respondents in the petition were the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), Philippine Army (PA), and the Department of Interior and Local Government-Cordillera Administrative Region (DILG-CAR). The CPA is a corporation registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with the primary purpose of upholding the collective rights and welfare of indigenous peoples (IP) of the Cordillera. The group also asked the SC to compel the respondents to take down all existing social media posts and forms of publicity which tag the group and its officers and members as communist-terrorists. It said in its petition that the acts of NTF-ELCAC and other agencies include relentless red-tagging and vilification by “state forces” and unknown entities in public place and social media posts, such as Facebook and community meetings; the issuance of Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (RLECC) Resolution paving the way for the conduct of house visitations of individuals identified as associated or members of communist front organizations (CFO); and visitations, stalking, surveillance, and harassment. It also pointed out to the SC the alleged encampment by the AFP in indigenous villages, residential houses and use of civilian facilities or structures and the filing of baseless charges against some of the its members petitioners that were eventually dismissed. Last April, the CA affirmed with its October 2022 decision denying CPA’s petition for a Writ of Amparo with a ruling that CPA failed to present sufficient evidence that would warrant the issuance of the writ. The CA noted that the “sheer volume” of screenshot attached to their affidavits “does not automatically amount to substantial evidence proving that the Facebook posts were made by or under the direction of the respondents.” Also, the CA said that the fact that the Facebook posts were made two years ago is vital to the determination of the existence of present, imminent or actual threat to the life, liberty or security of petitioners.