ILOILO CITY — Amnesty International Philippines has called on elected and reelected officials in the Visayas to address red-tagging or labelling certain people as communists.
AMNESTY International Report 2024/25 is presented in Iloilo City on Friday, May 23, by acting country director Jepie Papa (center). Also in photo are Commission on Human Rights (CHR)-6 Regional Director Atty. Jonnie Dabuco (right) and Lorena Navallasca of Process Panay. (Tara Yap)
“The newly elected local and congressional officials in the Visayas should do better in addressing the red-tagging of activists,” said Jepie Papa, acting director of Amnesty International Philippines.
Amnesty International Philippines noted that red-tagging by the Duterte administration still persists in the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in the Visayas.
Speaking at the Visayas leg presentation of the Amnesty International Report 2024/25, Papa said that there are still red-tagging cases such as that of Irish Inoceto, an LGBTQ leader red-tagged by former Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy and former activist Jeffrey “Ka Eric” Celiz.
“She had to seek asylum abroad because she no longer felt safe here,” Papa added.
Papa said a state university in Iloilo was also red-tagged.
Amnesty International Philippines said that red-tagging has targeted environmentalists.