Red-tagging: A tool of repression and violence against progressive Filipinos

Photo credit: Altermidya

You don’t need to be an activist to be red-tagged. You don’t need to hold a placard, chant in a rally, or even organize a protest. Sometimes, all it takes is speaking up. A Facebook post about injustice. A donation to a community pantry. Wearing a shirt that says “Makibaka.”

In the Philippines, those simple acts can be twisted into something dangerous.

Red-tagging isn’t just a political issue but a life-threatening practice that has been used to justify harassment, surveillance, and even murder. It’s a tool of fear. And whether you’re deep in advocacy or just beginning to question the system, it affects us all.

So, let’s break it down: what red-tagging really is, why it’s dangerous, and why you should care - because this isn’t just about activists. It’s about all of us.

What Is Red-Tagging?

Red-tagging is the act of labeling individuals or organizations as communists, terrorists, or enemies of the state, often without any evidence. It’s a form of blacklisting. A smear tactic. And in the Philippines, it often comes with deadly consequences.

The term is commonly used by military and government officials to discredit human rights defenders, labor leaders, students, indigenous organizers, journalists, artists, and anyone critical of the government. While being “red” used to refer to leftist political beliefs, today, red-tagging has been weaponized to justify intimidation, violence, and state surveillance.

You don’t have to be part of an underground movement to be targeted. Just caring loudly, especially if you’re poor, queer, or from the margins, is enough.

A Brief History of Fear

Red-tagging didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s rooted in the Philippines’ long history of colonialism, authoritarianism, and Cold War paranoia.

After World War II, as the U.S. and its allies fought communism worldwide, the Philippine government ramped up efforts to suppress dissent - especially from progressive peasant and workers’ movements. During the Marcos dictatorship, red-tagging became a central tool to justify Martial Law, mass arrests, disappearances, and killings of activists.

Even after Marcos was ousted, the practice never fully went away. In fact, red-tagging intensified under the Duterte administration through agencies like the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), which has publicly red-tagged students, teachers, NGOs, celebrities, and even community pantries. Today, under Marcos Jr., red-tagging continues with the same playbook: silence dissent, deny accountability, and maintain power.

Why Red-Tagging Is Dangerous

Red-tagging is a death sentence in disguise.

Here’s what can happen when someone is red-tagged:

• Harassment and threats (online and offline)

• Surveillance by police or military agents

• Unjust arrests and detention without clear charges

• Loss of livelihood or academic opportunities

• Public shaming on state media

• Physical harm or assassination

Activists like Zara Alvarez, Chad Booc, and Jory Porquia were all red-tagged before they were killed. These are not isolated cases—they are patterns. The state uses red-tagging to mark people for punishment, often with no due process.

And because it’s done without evidence, red-tagging also breeds paranoia and mistrust. It makes people afraid to organize, speak out, or even associate with anyone critical of the government. It turns social movements into targets.

Who Gets Red-Tagged?

Red-tagging doesn’t happen to everyone equally. It disproportionately affects people on the margins, those whose work challenges power.

Among the most commonly targeted are:

• Women and LGBTQ+ activists

• Environmental defenders protecting ancestral land

• Labor union leaders fighting for fair wages

• Indigenous organizers defending cultural sovereignty

• Students and youth leaders protesting injustice

• Artists, teachers, and journalists telling inconvenient truths

From a feminist perspective, red-tagging reflects a deep fear of organized women. Those who break the mold, who are loud, political, unafraid, are often branded as dangerous. Think of the babaylan, once revered, eventually vilified.

To be labeled “communist” is often less about ideology and more about disciplining people who dare to resist.

Why Should We All Care - Activists or not?

Maybe you’ve never attended a rally. Maybe you’re just watching from the sidelines. Still, red-tagging affects you.

Because red-tagging is not about ideology. It’s about control.

It tells people: Don’t speak. Don’t question. Don’t get involved.
It creates a culture where silence feels like safety. But that silence doesn’t guarantee protection. It just guarantees submission.

Red-tagging doesn’t just target radicals. It targets care. It targets solidarity. It targets anyone building a better world.

If you believe in free speech, justice, and the right to dream beyond the status quo, red-tagging is your issue, too.

What You Can Do

We don’t have to accept red-tagging as normal. There are ways to resist:

1. Stay informed.

Learn how red-tagging operates and challenge narratives that equate activism with terrorism. Follow human rights organizations like Karapatan and ICHRP to know more.

2. Support the red-tagged.

Stand in solidarity with those under attack. Follow and share their work. Defend their right to exist safely and speak freely.

3. Speak out when it happens.

When politicians, agencies, or media red-tag individuals or groups, call it what it is: a dangerous lie.

4. Practice digital safety.

If you’re involved in any advocacy, be mindful of your digital footprint. Protect your communications and those of your community.

5. Build collective protection.

We’re safer when we move together. Join or support organizations that defend human rights and promote feminist values. When we protect each other, we become harder to silence.

Refusing to Be Silenced

Red-tagging thrives in isolation. It thrives when we doubt each other, when we step back, when we stay quiet. But the more we name it, resist it, and build community despite it, the weaker it becomes.

The people who get red-tagged are often the ones doing the most loving, courageous work. The goal of red-tagging is to make us afraid of our own power.

But if we can remember that speaking out is a risk because it’s powerful, then maybe we can begin to choose courage, together.

We don’t need to be fearless. We just need to show up for each other.