SENATOR Jinggoy Estrada has apparently jumped into the ‘pro-Reds’ bandwagon by filing a bill to “criminalize” the so-called ‘red tagging,’ a phrase weaponized by front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to shield them from accountability.
“Red-tagging is not just a label — it is a threat. When someone is publicly named as a communist sympathizer, their life is immediately placed in danger,” Estrada said in a statement.
Under Senate Bill No. 1071, or the proposed “Anti-Red-Tagging Act,” Esstrada cited a Supreme Court ruling under Deduro v. Maj. Gen. Vinoya (GR 2754753) in 2024 that recognized that red-tagging, vilification, labeling, and guilt by association threaten a person’s right to life, liberty, and security, and often precede abduction, harassment, or even extrajudicial killings.
SBN 1071 seeks to codify red tagging as an offense under the country’s legal framework to protect citizens from unwarranted harassment, intimidation, or persecution.
It defines red tagging as the act of publicly labeling or accusing individuals or groups as communists, terrorists, or enemies of the State, often without evidence.
It imposes as penalties a 10-years imprisonment term and a lifetime ban from holding public office for those who will be found guilty of committing the offense.
Under the measure, red tagging may be committed through public statements, social media posts, tarpaulins, placards, declarations, public events, and other platforms used to label or vilify individuals or groups as enemies of the State.
“Red-tagging has long threatened the lives of human rights defenders and activists, created a chilling effect on legitimate dissenters and community leaders — including journalists — and created a climate of fear in the country.
“It has no place in a democracy,” Estrada said.