📷Former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares
HINDI natuto ang gobyerno sa naging desisyon ng Korte Suprema na ang red-tagging o pagbansag sa isang indibiwal o organisasyon bilang kasapi ng New People’s Army (NPA) ay banta sa kanilang seguridad at kalayaan, ayon kay human rights lawyer at dating Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares.
Ang pahayag ni Colmenares ay tugon sa sinabi ni Atty. James Clifford Santos ng Office of the Solicitor General at bahagi ng Legal Cooperation Cluster ng National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), na inimbento lang ng Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP) ang terminong red-tagging upang palabasing masama ang umano’y pagtatanggal ng maskara ng gobyerno sa kanilang mga kaanib.
“The decision of the Supreme Court in the Deduro versus Vinoya, we are very well aware of that decision. But it’s also our position as far as the LCC is concerned that the statement of the Supreme Court on red-tagging is an obiter dictum,” ani Santos.
Ang obiter dictum ay isang terminong Latin na ang ibig sabihin ay “that which is said in passing” at tumutukoy sa isang “non-binding statement in a judicial opinion.”
“Actually red tagging even those who use the term “red tagging” kasi imbento yan ng NPA. Di pa rin natututo ang gobyerno na ayaw ng mamamayan na tinawag ng gobyerno ang tao na NPA just because opposition sya o aktibista sya,” giit ni Colmenares.
Wala rin aniyang katotohanan ang katuwirang “obiter dictum” lamang ang red-tagging sa desisyon ng Supreme Court.
“That’s of course untrue, kaya ine-encourage ko ang gobyerno, na magsabi na ng totoo kesa mag propaganda. Para patunayan na di totoo ang sinabi ng gobyerno na obiter lang ang definition ng red tagging? Quote mismo sa statement ng supreme court sa website nito:
May 8, 2024
The Supreme Court has declared that red-tagging, vilification, labelling, and guilt by association threaten a person’s right to life, liberty, or security, which may justify the issuance of a writ of amparo,” paliwanag ng dating Bayan Muna congressman.
“This was the ruling of the Supreme Court En Banc in a Decision penned by Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda, where it granted the writ of amparo in favor of Siegfred D. Deduro (Deduro),” ani Colmenares.
Matatandaan nagpahayag din ng mahigpit na babala ang Korte Suprema laban kay dating NTF-ELCAC Spokesperson Lorraine Badoy ukol sa red-tagging at pagbabanta niya sa buhay ni Judge Marlo A. Mendoza-Malagar ng Manila Regional Trial Court, Branch 19 na nagbasura sa petisyon ng Department of Justice na ipadeklarang illegal at terorista ang CPP-NPA.
“The Court STERNLY WARNS those who continue to incite violence through social media and other means which endanger the lives of judges and their families.
[T]his SHALL LIKEWISE BE CONSIDERED A CONTEMPT OF THIS COURT and will be dealt with accordingly,” sabi sa kalatas ng SC. (ROSE NOVENARIO)