Red-tagging

The practice, under which individuals or groups are labeled "communist" or "terrorist"
regardless of their actual beliefs or affiliations, has been noted for frequently targeting
human rights organizations, church or religious groups, health worker unions, the
academe, and the mainstream media.

Branding of "rebel groups" in Philippine history[edit]

Conflicts with ideologically motivated groups, both armed and unarmed have frequently been labeled
"terrorists," "rebels," and "bandits" throughout the Philippines' history. [11][12]
Groups branded "insurrectos" during the colonial era and World War II [edit]
During the colonial era, forces fighting for Filipino independence, such as those under  Diego
Silang, Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, and Macario Sakay were intentionally labeled
"insurrectos" and "bandits" in order to de-legitimize and downplay their cause. [12][13] In the 1930s,
the Hukbalahap of the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP-1930) was one of the most active
guerrilla forces fighting for Filipino freedom during World War II, but it found itself in conflict with the
newly independent Philippine government after the war, until it was effectively defeated in the 1950s.
[14]

Opposition groups during the Marcos administration[edit]

A new communist organization, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), was formed in 1969,
and although it was still small, the Philippine government used its formation to take advantage of the
cold war red scare in the United States to increase the influx of defense support funds from the US.
[15][16][17](p"43")
 A 1968 Philippine senate investigation into the Jabidah massacre, in which Muslim recruits
were supposedly massacred in Corregidor to prevent them from blowing the cover on a botched
Military operation resulted in the rise of multiple secessionist movements in the Muslim-majority
areas in western Mindanao Island, including the Muslim Independence Movement, the Bangsamoro
Liberation Organization.[18] President Ferdinand Marcos cited the new communist and moro
separatist movements among his reasons for declaring martial law in 1972, but also used his powers
to "emasculate all the leaders" of the political opposition, allowing him to hold authoritarian power
over the Philippines for more than two decades.[19]
While martial law decimated the leadership of the political opposition, it radicalized otherwise
"moderate" young people of the time, leading to the rapid growth of the Communist Party of the
Philippines' New People's Army.[20] In western Mindanao, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)
and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) became the dominant voice of Muslim separatism after
the burning of Jolo in 1974.[21] In northern Luzon, the murder of Macli-ing Dulag for his opposition to
the Marcos administration's Chico River Dam project became a rallying cry which inspired the
formation of militant groups such as the Cordillera People's Liberation Army (CPLA).[22]
On the other hand, the martial law saw the creation of human rights advocacy groups across the
whole political spectrum, with civil society groups such as the Movement of Concerned Citizens for
Civil Liberties and the Free Legal Assistance Group were joined even by church groups such as
the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, Association of Major Religious Superiors in the
Philippines, and Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, and by business groups such as
the Makati Business Club, in actively fighting the proliferation of human rights abuses during the
period.[23]
Conflicts after 1986[edit]
After Marcos was removed from power through the mostly-peaceful People Power revolution of
1986, the Reform the Armed Forces Movement launched numerous coups to overthrow the
government,[24] while conflicts continued with the MNLF, MILF, CCP, and smaller groups like the
CPLA. Ideological differences in the CCP resulted in various groups who rejected its adherence to
Maoist orthodoxy splitting into more than a dozen smaller groups, including the Revolutionary
Workers' Party of the Philippines.[25]
Red-tagging[edit]
Main article: Red-tagging in the Philippines
In recent years, international organizations including the United Nations,[26] Amnesty International,
[27]
 and Human Rights Watch[28] have called attention to the continued practice of red-tagging as a
political tactic to stifle dissent in the Philippines. The practice, under which individuals or groups are
labeled "communist" or "terrorist" regardless of their actual beliefs or affiliations, [29] has been noted for
frequently targeting human rights organizations, [30] church or religious groups, [31][32] health worker
unions,[33] the academe,[34][35] and the mainstream media.[36]

Religious extremist terrorism[edit]

Brothers Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani and Khadaffy Janjalani split from the MNLF in 1991 and
established their own group, the Abu Sayyaf, which eventually became infamous
for bombings, kidnappings, assassinations, extortion,[37] rape, child sexual assault, forced marriage,
[38]
 drive-by shootings, extortion and drug trafficking.[39] On July 23, 2014, Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon
Hapilon swore an oath of loyalty to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and
the Levant (ISIL).[40] In September 2014, the group began kidnapping people for ransom, in the name
of ISIL.[41][42]
However, in the leadup to the passage and signing of the Anti-Terror Act of 2020, President Rodrigo
Duterte said that his administration would focus on "communists." He called the Abu Sayyaf
"terrorists of no value," saying "Actually the number one threat to the country, hindi Abu Sayyaf,
hindi mga terorista of no value. Itong high-value targets itong mga komunista" ("Actually the number
one threat to the country is not the Abu Sayyaf Group, not terrorists of no value. The high-value
targets are the communists")."[43]