Red-Tagging of the Makabayan Bloc and What Its Members Could Do to End It

Disclaimer: The views and opinions of this Author do not represent the views and opinions of the Institutions with whom he is affiliated.

Over the past months, the Philippines has seen a lot of movements seeking to end the Government’s act of red-tagging celebrities, activist groups, and other left-wing parties, like the Makabayan Bloc in the House of Representatives.

“Red-tagging” or “red-baiting” is the form of McCarthyism in the Philippines.(See Zarate v. Aquino III, G.R. No. 220028, Nov. 10, 2015 (J. Leonen, dissenting opinion).) Basically, it is the State’s act of stereotyping dissenters as communists, terrorists, members of subversive groups, etc.(Id.)

To an extent, this governmental act sends a chilling effect such that those who wanted to express dissent are prevented to do so out of fear. (See Id.)

The aim of this commentary is not to defend the government’s act of red-tagging, but it merely points out where did the Makabayan Bloc go wrong and why this selective treatment has been aimed at the Bloc for so long.

First of all, I do not agree with red-tagging because, as mentioned, it gives a chilling effect and aims to suppress dissent. On the other hand, I somewhat understand the concern that the government has against these groups since this issue already exists even before the Duterte Administration.

With the recent acts of the Makabayan Bloc, like going to the Senate to condemn the acts of red-tagging, I still believe that people (both left and right) will not buy its members’ plea just because they say that they are not involved with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

As one of those people who do not simply buy the idea of denying involvement with the CPP-NPA, for me, the Bloc needs to do more.

First of all, why is it hard for the Makabayan Bloc to condemn the atrocities done by the CPP-NPA? The members of the Bloc cited International Law (such as the Rome Statute) on several occasions, yet they cannot even cite it to condemn the CPP-NPA — a movement that is considered a terrorist group by the USA and EU.

This is one of the reasons why I understand the concern (not the red-tagging) of the government. If we look back in 2019, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana challenged the Makabayan Bloc to condemn the CPP-NPA, and since then, we have yet to hear any condemnation from the Bloc.

Another thing is that they failed to answer an underlying question: are they believers of communism or any other form of revolutionary socialism?

For as long as they dodge that underlying question, people will always link their affairs to the CPP-NPA.

If they simply say that they do not believe in the ideology of communism or other forms of revolutionary socialism, then this (and probably, future) administration will stop targeting them.

Again, if the Makabayan Bloc will just say, “we are not communists, we do not believe in it and other forms of revolutionary socialism, and we condemn the CPP-NPA.” Things will be over, and it worked in the past.

The best example is the Akbayan Partylist. It is a left-wing, democratic socialist party. Previously, I thought that it is part of the Makabayan Bloc and that it could be an easy target for red-tagging. It turns out, I was wrong. It was out of the radar of the government’s red-tagging. Why? Akbayan made it clear that they are not affiliated with the CPP-NPA, and for years, it has been condemning the CPP-NPA’s acts.

Until the Makabayan Bloc stops its symbolisms and dodging, it cannot expect that the government (regardless of the administration) will stop targeting it.