Inquirer/Ni帽o Jesus Orbeta
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) started on Monday a two-day public inquiry into 鈥淩ed-tagging,鈥� or the practice of labeling individuals or groups as communists or terrorists, to come up with a 鈥渄efinitive definition鈥� of the act.
In a press briefing, CHR Commissioner and spokesperson Beda Epres pointed to a significant gap in the current legal framework because of the lack of a law penalizing Red-tagging, adding, 鈥淲hat we have are existing laws that penalize acts, which are constituted Red-tagging.鈥�
READ: Supreme Court: Red-tagging threatens one鈥檚 right to life, security
鈥淭he main reason why we are having this Red-tagging [inquiry] is in order for us to come up with a definitive definition of what really is Red-tagging,鈥� he said.
The CHR, he added, would propose to Congress measures regarding the 鈥渃orrect definition鈥� of Red-tagging, the acts constituting the practice and corresponding penalties.
For his part, CHR Chair Richard Palpal-latoc was hopeful the inquiry would help the commission 鈥渃ome up with concrete recommendations to ultimately address the situation through the willingness of duty-bearers and rights-holders to participate in this undertaking.鈥�
The public inquiry is expected to gather perspectives from various stakeholders to develop recommendations for preventing human rights violations related to Red-tagging.
It will also collect testimonies from human rights defenders, legal experts and individuals affected by Red-tagging. Human rights group have long criticized the practice, saying it can lead to harassment, intimidation and violence. 鈥擱ussel Loreto