Solons seek to criminalize red-tagging
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
MANILA – Lawmakers in the lower house filed a counterpart measure seeking to criminalize public officials, employees or their agents for red-tagging.
Nine lawmakers filed on May 24 House Bill 9437, which seeks the imprisonment for up to six years and perpetual absolute disqualification to hold public office for those who will be found guilty of red-tagging.
Filed by members of the Makabayan bloc, Quezon City Congressman Jose Christopher Belmonte, Albay Congressman Edcel Lagman and La Union Congressman Pablo Ortega, the bill that red-tagging by public officials and their agents “brings about chilling effect and poses a great danger to the people’s Constitutional right to freedom of expression and the right to political belief without fear of prosecution.”