red-tagging:
THE WORSENING STATE OF STUDENT ACTIVISM IN THE PHILIPPINES
Red-tagging is the government ways of threatening student activists who are opposing or criticizing the current administration. It is defined as labelling student activists as members of leftist or communist groups which are then labelled as terrorist.
In order to understand why being red-tagged means being labelled as terrorist one must look back at the Anti-Subversion Law which was passed during the presidency of Carlos P. Garcia. The law states that the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is a terrorist group that organizes the plan to overthrow the Government of the Republic of the Philippines not only by force and violence but also by deceit, subversion and other illegal means. The law was repealed during the presidency of Corazon Aquino, which means that the CPP is not seen as a terrorist group anymore. However, up to this day people see the Communist Party of the Philippines and News People’s Army as a terrorist group along with President Rodrigo Duterte declaring on December 05, 2017 that the two groups are labelled as terrorists.
With the history of activism in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) it earned the stigma of being a recruitment center for communist groups along with the University of the Philippines (UP). PUP garnered the attention of the government and people when the student activists burned down broken chairs as a protest for the 12 pesos per unit.
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In the present red-tagging became rampant with the student activists of PUP to the point where studying in PUP instantly labels you as a member of the NPA. The height of red-tagging was when Senator Bato de la Rosa brought up the issue of the three missing student activist at the Far Eastern University (FEU), University of the East (UE) Manila, and Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP). The parents of the three missing students claimed that their children were brainwashed by youth organization who were allegedly affiliated with leftist groups. Senator Bato stated that, “Schools have a policy which is very detrimental on the part of the government/state. They have a policy barring the police or military from entering their campuses, in order to avoid militarization.
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"So in the guise of academic freedom, supposedly, they allow the communists to recruit students, who are minors, inside their campus. So there’s a big imbalance there, in terms of the schools’ bias, especially state schools like the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the University of the Philippines.”
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RONALD "BATO" DELA ROSA
on university guidelines on freedom from military presence inside the campus
PHOTO SOURCE: https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/15/19/bato-to-leftist-solons-return-militant-student-recruits-to-parents
The issue with red-tagging became much more pressing when military presence was seen at the main campus of PUP. When Senator Francis Tolentino asked if de Guzman is allowing the police presence in PUP, de Guzman said that police officers are already visiting the campus. The presence of the police is a violation of the Prudente-Ramos Accord that states that there shall be no presence of military inside and within 50 meters outside the PUP campus. The presence of the military would endanger student activists as it is uncertain what the military could do to those student activists who are tagged as a part of the leftist group.
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The Administration of PUP indirectly encourages red tagging by removing student activists from the Gabriela Silang hall and with the recent issue of the revision of the university’s student hand book. The revision includes the raise of the students GWA for latin honors, dress code, and random mandatory drug testing. The presence of the military was felt during the random mandatory drug testing in which the military can be seen roaming around the campus. The student activist would not give up without a fight and their way of saying no to red-tagging is by blocking the van of the Philippine National Police (PNP) away from main campus.
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The president of PUP Emmanuel de Guzman apologized to the parents of the children who are studying in PUP and were allegedly recruited by the leftist group NPA.
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"Ako po ay nag-a-apologize sa kanila dahil ‘yung mga anak nila na nasa PUP ay na-recruit kahit na ito ay labag sa aming kalooban. But we cannot commit na 100 percent na wala ng ganito. We are hoping this will not happen again.”
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DR. EMANUEL DE GUZMAN
President, PUP
on alleged recruitment of NPA inside the Polytechnic University of the Philippines
PHOTO SOURCE: http://tnnphilippines.com/2019/08/07/pup-president-nag-sorry-sa-pamilya-ng-mga-nawawalang-shs-student/
Meanwhile, amidst the red-tagging of authorities to the student activists of PUP, some of the university's staff and faculty members have relayed their thoughts on student activism.
On the other hand, a student activist have briefly described how being an activist inside the campus have threatened the lives of their kin.
In conclusion red-tagging places the life of an activist in danger. The danger of being bugged by the government, illegal detention and possible death. The statements of the interviewed student activist should be a reminder and wake-up call to those who red-tags student activist as a member of the NPA as there are dire consequences of being an NPA. While a student activist is one that is fighting for the masses.