Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday supported moves by some lawmakers to push for the passage of a law that would declare Red-tagging as a criminal offense.
鈥淸Criminalizing Red-tagging] may help reduce the problem of reckless endangerment [of state forces]. It鈥檚 really something for Congress to ponder on,鈥� Guevarra told the Inquirer.
鈥淚t would be best 鈥� that Congress enact a law clearly defining and expressly penalizing what is loosely called today as 鈥楻ed-tagging,鈥欌�� he added.
Under the present laws, the justice secretary said individuals who have been Red-tagged, or accused of being members of the Communist Party of the Philippines without legal basis, may only lodge cases for harassment, defamation, coercion, unjust vexation and violation privacy laws against those making the allegations.
鈥淚f Congress is minded to criminalize Red-tagging, it should enact the appropriate legislation,鈥� he stressed.
Last month, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon filed Senate Bill No. 2121, or the Act Defining and Penalizing Red-Tagging, to 鈥渇ix the legal gaps, address impunity [and)]institutionalize a system of accountability.鈥�
Drilon鈥檚 proposed legislation defined Red-tagging as the act of 鈥渓abeling, vilifying, branding, naming, accusing, harassing, persecuting, stereotyping, or caricaturing individuals, groups, or organizations as state enemies, left-leaning, subversives, communists or terrorists.鈥� INQ