Pangan: Red-tagging is a very scary business

EVEN for the flimsiest reasons, one can be unsuspectingly tagged a communist by national authorities.

Mere association with Anakbayan, Gabriela and Bayan may be misconstrued as consorting with the red-labeled communist New People's Army-National Democratic Front. This should be the case as mere suspicion of having links with the Red group may mean deprivation of liberty, even costing one's life in the process.

These are the dangerous offshoots of the controversial Anti-Terrorism Law that President Duterte ushered in with unbridled passion, just like his idol and past president, the late Ferdinand Marcos.

So many personalities are now being included in the hit list, including people merely suspected of having communist links. Such is the danger emanating from the anti-terrorism law that brings fear at the mere mention of it.

The anti-terrorism law may have passed, but protests and vigorous objections over it linger. Cases should be filed to test its validity and efficacy. But people are stymied by this dangerous law as no amount of petitions of habeas corpus and Amparo may prosper.

Still, it happened that harmless beauty queens like Catriona Gray and Liza Soberano were dragged into the Communist thing with the overzealous Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade, spokesperson for the Anti-Communist group, red-tagging the beauties. Probably, he only wants to be friends with them and let the ladies obey his every command for some favors perhaps.

The precedents set by the Anti-Terrorism law will not give us peace of mind, which is guaranteed by the Constitution. The military will always have the reason to concoct ideas or ways to intimidate us.

***

All this red-tagging business is the result of senseless ideas of minds with sinister motives.

They are those without good moral moorings and humane consideration.

These are the scourge of humane society: cold, brazen mercenaries who kill without remorse and humanitarian consideration.

Still, the impunity persists if we allow it. Civilized men should put up very strong resistance towards the growth of inorderly conduct and grave misdemeanor. Remember the quote: For evil to triumph, let the good men do nothing.

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