The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is slated to launch a Public Inquiry on 29 to 30 July 2024, as part of its conscious effort to determine the acts and practices that constitute red-tagging, understand the perspectives of all relevant stakeholders, and formulate recommendations to develop mechanisms aimed at preventing further human rights violations and abuses related to this issue.

The inquiry, fully entitled as the “Public Inquiry on the Current Situation of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) with focus on incidents of Red-Tagging,” is aimed towards being carried out as a fact-finding undertaking in aid of investigation through a transparent and public manner. The conduct of national public inquiries requires a wide range of expertise within the institution, including researchers, educators, investigators and people with experience in policy development.

“This Public Inquiry is a product of CHR’s proactive approach towards fostering a constructive dialogue across all stakeholders on the phenomenon of red-tagging. We recognize that it is a widespread practice, therefore a matter of serious concern which may pose grave threats to one’s life, liberty, and security. We hope that this Inquiry will help us come up with concrete recommendations to ultimately address the situation through the willingness of duty-bearers and rights-holders to participate in this undertaking,” according to CHR Chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc.

In its first session of the Inquiry, the CHR is set to gather domestic and international resource persons, who have established a reputation in identifying patterns of systemic violations before, during, and after the acts constituting red-tagging.

As the country’s independent national human rights institution mandated to monitor the Philippine government’s compliance with human rights standards, it is therefore incumbent upon the Commission to understand the practice of red-tagging by determining a definition which encapsulates the perspectives of both civil society and the State. The CHR believes that by effectively collaborating to define and operationalize acts which may fall under red-tagging, this will further advance a nationwide undertaking to continuously protect and promote the rights of every Filipino.

“We are the bridge between the government and civil society. In a democratic country where freedom of expression and peaceful assemblies sit at the core of every Filipino’s right to public participation, it is about time that we take measures to protect all Filipinos from acts which may stigmatize them and put their lives, liberty, and security in peril. We believe that this would not be possible if not for the active role of the government in ensuring that the rights of all Filipinos are constantly promoted, protected, and fulfilled,” Chairperson Palpal-latoc added.

It is envisioned that the Public Inquiry will pave towards the progression of the dialogue on how red-tagging can result in a wide range of human rights violations and provide legal basis for duty-bearers to protect Filipinos who are at most vulnerable by this practice through effective accountability and redress mechanisms and access to justice.###