THE PANAY Chapter of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) condemns recent incidents of red-tagging against youth activists, Kabataan Partylist-Panay Chairperson Thea Dayata and her sister, NUPL-Panay Law Students Secretary-General Audrey Dayata.
In June 2025, individuals identifying themselves as intelligence operatives of the Philippine Army spoke to a relative of the Dayata sisters and relayed a warning that the said victims were members of organizations – Kabataan Partylist and NUPL – that were allegedly part of the “umbrella” structure of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP). They further warned the Dayata sisters against joining these organizations’ activities such as public protests.
This is not an isolated incident as numerous activists in Panay and throughout the country have been red-tagged, persecuted, and imprisoned on trumped-up charges because of their membership in progressive organizations.
Thea and Audrey Dayata are but the latest in a spectacularly long list of victims of an ongoing campaign by the government to silence the voices of progressive forces who continue to challenge the repressive and anti-people policies of the state. Thea and her colleagues in Kabataan Partylist advocate for free education, greater state subsidy for schools, and the protection of basic human rights. Audrey and her fellow NUPL members provide services to poor and marginalized clients and expose the government’s abysmal human rights record.
This most recent incident of red-tagging and threats by the Philippine Army highlights, first, that the persecution of activists continues under the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Second, red-tagging, which the Supreme Court defined as a threat against life and liberty, remains a reality for members of progressive organizations. It places them and their families in danger because red-tagging precedes other incidents of human rights violations, like extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary arrest and detention on trumped-up charges of “terrorism”, illegal possession of firearms and explosives, or rebellion.
Despite government efforts to suppress this fact, numerous human rights experts, including United Nations Special Rapporteur Irene Khan, have reported to the UN Human Rights Council and other international bodies that red-tagging is still a pervasive practice in the Philippines.
Third, the targets of red-tagging and persecution are those persons and organizations who engage in legitimate and legal activities, such as public protests, that advance the people’s rights and interests. Apart from Kabataan Partylist and NUPL, other victims of state persecution belong to progressive groups like Bayan, Gabriela, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, Anakbayan, and the League of Filipino Students, to name a few. It is very clear that the goal is to prevent them from carrying out peaceful collective actions that are supposedly protected under our Constitution.
The Dayata sisters join the ranks of individuals that the government has, for years, hounded and tried to silence. Brave voices like Kabataan Partylist’s Raoul Manuel and Sarah Elago, as well as Panay-based activists like Bayan-Aklan’s Kim-Sin Tugna and veteran LGBTQ rights advocate and poet George Calaor. The fact that they are being red-tagged shows that they truly serve the masses who have long been exploited, neglected, and oppressed by the state.
We therefore express our full support for Thea and Audrey Dayata and call on others to do the same so that they can continue with their valuable work of advocating for human rights.
We demand that the government stop its policy of red-tagging and persecution of activists and progressive organizations. We call for independent investigations into these incidents that are genuinely intended to hold the perpetrators accountable.
Hands off Kabataan Partylist and NUPL! – NATIONAL UNION OF PEOPLES’ LAWYERS – PANAY CHAPTER <panaynupl4@gmail.com>
