'Red tagging' by PCOO, AFP has legitimate basis --Lorenzana
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday pointed to the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) as being behind the social media campaign that Makabayan lawmakers assailed as “red tagging” attempts that have put their lives in danger.
Grilled by Makabayan lawmakers during the Department of National Defense budget hearing, Lorenzana said the PCOO and the Civil Relations Office are jointly involved in the digital information campaign of the defense establishment.
“Itong mga na-publish ng Armed Forces at PCOO, hindi nila gagawin yung walang basehan (The Armed Forces and the PCOO will not publish them without basis),” he assured lawmakers.
However, Kabataan Partylist Sarah Jane Elago chided Lorenzana’s statement as she presented visuals of alleged social media posts assailing her of recruiting the youth into joining the communist movement and rebel against the government.
Elago decried the posts as part of a “red tagging’ disinformation campaign against persons airing legitimate redress of grievances.
“This disinformation campaign puts this representation in harm's way,” she said.
Elago said there is no justification for wasting government funds to issue ”fake statements, fake social media posts” aimed at red tagging legitimate dissenters.
“Itong akusasyon na nagre-red tagging, meron pong basehan iyan. Marami kaming nakuhang mga dokumento tungkol sa diyan. (These red-tagging accusations, we have basis for them. We have documents about them),” countered Lorenzana.
In the same hearing, Assistant Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro rejected Lorenzana’s denial that the military is involved in red-tagging opposition members.
Castro said legitimate dissenters Jory Porquia, Carlito Badion, Randall Echanis and Zara Alvarez were among the critics of the government who were liquidated after being subjected to “red-tagging campaign.”
“They are human rights defenders echoing legitimate calls of their sectors and the people," Castro said.
According to her many teachers, including Zhaydee and Ramil Cabanales, have been receiving death threats after being linked to communist groups.
The Cabanales couple were “attacked by unidentified men” days later.