MANILA, Philippines – Karapatan group has filed a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman against government officials for red-tagging.
The human rights group on Friday (December 4) filed cases against the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) officials led by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon.
The group said they also filed cases against NTF-ELCAC ex-officio member Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr., Strategic Communications Cluster spokesperson Lorraine Badoy, and Deputy Executive Director Margaux “Mocha” Uson of the Overseas Workers and Welfare Administration.
Karapatan lawyer Atty. Josalee Deinla said the government officials have repeatedly linked the group to the Communist Party of the Philippines.
“Mayroon tayong tinatawag na prinsipyo sa international humanitarian law. Hindi tinutiring na combantant ang mga sibilyan na kagaya nila. Sila ay mga unarmed activists at miyembro ng legal at above ground organizations (We have the principle in the international humanitarian law which states that civilians like them should not be considered as combatants. They are unarmed activists and members of a legal and above ground organization),” she said.
Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay reiterated they are human rights defenders and are not combatants. She also said that the red-tagging has endangered their lives.
“By tagging us as front organization, myself as a high supposedly a high ranking member of the CPP and NPA they are committing offenses under the said law,” she said. AAC (with reports from Dante Amento)
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