Red-tagging must be criminalized, says Rep. Torres-Gomez

Leyte 4th District Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez. Contributed photo

MANILA, Philippines — Leyte 4th District Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez is in favor of criminalizing red-tagging.

In a recent interview, the congresswoman said that “red-tagging is never right,” expounding that: “There are serious implications to a person’s life and reputation so I think that is the reason why sometimes people
in government has a bad name because there is lack of accountability. We are accountable for the statements we release, for what we say even in private. All the more the officials who have a big responsibility and who are in charge of our country.”

Nine other legislators also expressed the need to criminalize red-tagging.

At the Senate, Senator Franklin Drilon has expressed a similar call.

Torres-Gomez is a staunch defender of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and has justified her stance against moves to defund the government’s anti-insurgency body.

According to her, criminalizing red-tagging would further highlight the credibility of the agency’s programs as it will promote accountability.

Torres-Gomez explained the while it is part of the internal process of the agency to be suspicious of activities that could potentially be used by insurgents, it is another thing to red-tag an individual.

The lady legislator alludes to those who were red-tagged by simply putting up a community pantry.

“The community pantry is a good program, it highlights the Bayanihan spirit of the Filipino especially in times when we need all the help we could get. But the NTF-ELCAC is also a very good program. I’m coming from the perspective that peace is the foundation of progress.”

Torres-Gomez said that the right move is not to defund but to oversee or monitor the spending of NTF-ELCAC.

“Congress reserves the right to an oversight on government programs and how they are implemented and I’m sure that the call for legislators to defund is just really a call for action to have more accountability, but I don’t believe that the errant actions of its spokesperson should make beneficiaries of a good program suffer.”

She was referring to NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade.

Torres- Gomez noted that the programs of NTF-ELCAC are sustainable, stressing, “the rebel returnee is given a second chance at life being integrated back into the society.”

Leyte is a” haven of the insurgents,” she said, adding that the programs of NTF-ELCAC have benefited many barangays from different municipalities and cities in her province.

This is the first time that the insurgency problem was addressed, she also said.