SEVEN Cordillerans, including a United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Victoria “Vicky” Tauli-Corpuz, are on the Department of Justice (DOJ) list of alleged officers and members of communist groups.
Aside from Corpuz, other Cordillerans included in the list are human rights lawyer Jose Molintas, Joanna Carino, Windel Farag-ey Bolinget, Sherwin De Vera, Beverly Sakongan Longid and Jeannette Ribaya Cawiding.
Tauli-Corpuz has denied the allegations and described the move as "baseless, malicious and irresponsible."
"I denounce this act by the Department of Justice of including me in the list. I am not connected at all in any way to those organizations nor do I have knowledge much less participation with all the incidents cited in the petition," said Corpuz in a statement.
Read: DOJ wants to tag over 600 persons as terrorists
Molintas, a former Baguio City councilor, also said the allegations were baseless.
“It confirms the fact that the government treats organizations like the Cordillera Peoples Alliance advocating for IP Rights as communists/NPAs and now terrorists, then find justification to subject us to all sorts of harassments and possibly execution,” Molintas said.
Longid, for her part, said the proscription petition is not only false and fabricated but is also malicious with intent to harass and intimidate those on the list and the people’s mass movement to submission.
“It is meant to reduce the people’s mass movement in the country and the legitimate struggles of the people as criminal and terrorism. Like others listed in the petition, we are in the process of consulting with our lawyers on how to handle the trumped-up charges and ensure that our life and rights are protected. We shall definitely look into the accountability of those responsible in putting not only our lives but those of our family and love ones in danger,” she said.
Longid is a global coordinator of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL) and co-chair of the CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE).
UN human rights experts have described the inclusion of Tauli-Corpuz as "an unacceptable attack against the mandate holder by the Philippine government."
They called on the Philippines to "immediately drop these unfounded accusations against Ms. Tauli-Corpuz and to ensure her physical safety and that of others listed."
“We are shocked that the Special Rapporteur is being targeted because of her work defending the rights of indigenous peoples,” said Michel Forst, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, and Catalina Devandas Aguilar, chairperson of the Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures.
Read: Full Statement of Michel Forst, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, and Catalina Devandas Aguilar, chairperson of the Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures
The list, which was submitted by the DOJ to the Manila Regional Trial Court in February as part of its petition seeking to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People's Army (NPA) as terrorist organizations under the Human Security Act, contained the names of alleged officers and members of the two organizations.