By ALYSSA MAE CLARIN
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — Media organizations denounced the inclusion of media outfits in the list of 18 so-called Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) “sectoral front organizations” (SFOs).
The resolution of the Kalinga Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) dated April 28 urged all cities and municipalities in Kalinga to “require all entities presenting themselves as Non-Government Organizations (NGO)” to secure permission from the local government before conducting any activity.
The resolution was signed by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) provincial director Anthony Manolo Ballug, which included a copy of a list of alleged SFOs.
The list, prepared by the 50th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army, included alternative news media outfit Northern Dispatch (NorDis), College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).
AlterMidya, of which NorDis is a member, denounced the PTF-ELCAC’s “unconstitutional, undemocratic, and dangerous” resolution. It stressed that the resolution prevents members of the media organizations from conducting their work as journalists and puts them in grave danger from the military and the police.
Read: Court junks cyber libel charges against news site Northern Dispatch
“The CEGP was established in 1931 and has produced hundreds of venerable journalists. The Northern Dispatch has been producing stories from the communities since 1989, while NUJP, founded by the late Tony Nieva, is known for advancing the rights and welfare of journalists in the country since 1986,” AlterMidya said, adding that even the 15 other organizations included in the list are legitimate organizations in Northern Luzon. “Preventing them from continuing with their work without a court order is nothing less than undemocratic. […] While their baseless rhetoric has already turned pathetic, its danger remains potent.”
Northern Dispatch said that the list released by the 50th IB only proves that the military is threatened by critical reporting.
Since its establishment in 1989, the media outfit has been reporting stories that not only amplify the people’s democratic aspirations but also expose the ills of society that continue to thrive because of the government’s shortcomings. “We urge the military and the government to cease the practice of red-tagging and engage us under the rule of law and justice, and in an honorable manner. […] Prove that you are still capable of rational discourse on issues instead of treating critical media and activist groups as enemies of the state.”
Red-tagging is dangerous
In a statement, the NUJP noted that while red-tagging is not yet a crime in the Philippines, it “does not mean that the practice does not exist or that it is not dangerous.”
The media group noted that local and international organizations, including the government’s own Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations, have long warned against red-tagging.
The NUJP said, “our rejection of red-tagging is rooted in the values of fairness, justice, and humanity that are at the core of journalism as a practice and in the desire to contribute to a better informed public and a more robust democracy.” (RTS, DAA, JJE) 
