SOME progressive groups in Southern Mindanao revealed that they plan to file a case before the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) over a now-deleted social media post that allegedly tagged some of their members as “Active Wanted Persons,” which the police office in Cateel, Davao Oriental, later apologized for, citing it as an error on their part.
“Mag file ta sa Commission on Human Rights and yes naay plano na mag-file og case; ang mga specific details ani gina-istoryhan pa namo with our legal counsel (We will file with the Commission on Human Rights, and yes, there is a plan to file a case. We are still discussing the specific details of this with our legal counsel),” said Grecian Asoy of Karapatan Southern Mindanao Region (SMR) during a press conference on May 29, 2026.
Asoy described the social media post as a “dangerous precedent,” saying it puts the lives of progressive leaders at risk. She said the claims had no basis and hindered their freedom of expression, association, and beliefs. She added that the action violated their right to democratic participation.
She said that by posting photos of progressive leaders, the PNP was criminalizing human rights workers and progressive individuals whose political beliefs differ from theirs.
Not a crime
Rauf Sissay of Bayan-SMR said the posting was a tactic used by security personnel to scare, intimidate, and silence human rights defenders. He said this was not new, citing how similar incidents happened during the Duterte administration, when they were tagged as terrorist recruiters, human rights violators, and sympathizers of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
“Ang pagiging aktibista, ang pagiging progresibo, dili kini krimen og wala kami gihimo na dautan (Being an activist, being progressive, is not a crime, and we have done nothing wrong),” he said.
Cora Espinosa of Gabriela SMR said she has been an activist for more than 20 years and is proud of it. She said she had already been subjected to similar incidents before, with the first occurring during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the second during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte, when posters bearing her image were put up, and the third and fourth incidents involving posts on social media pages.
Espinosa said activists, especially women activists, are important because many women remain unaware of their rights. She said she sees nothing wrong with activism, citing how many women now have the courage to stand their ground, especially victims of Violence Against Women and their Children (VAWC).
Meanwhile, Alyssa Ancheta of Gabriela Youth SMR said one of the reasons she became an activist was to raise concerns about women’s rights, only to later allegedly find herself included in the “Active Wanted List.”
Ancheta stressed that the social media post affected not only the individuals involved but also their families and friends, who became worried for their safety. She said being an activist should not be dangerous.
“Mali ba makigbisog para sa katungod sa katawhan, mali ba nga ipanawagan na ang nagtaas nga presyo sa palaliton kung asa ang kababaihan ang pinakagrabe ang maapektuhan, ang pagtaas sa kaso sa VAWC dili lamang sa Davao kundi sa tibuok nasod. Mali ba na, angay ba na nga reason para ibutang me sa wanted list,” she said.
(Is it wrong to fight for the rights of the people? Is it wrong to call attention to the rising prices of goods, where women are among the most affected? The increase in VAWC cases is happening not only in Davao but throughout the entire country. Is that wrong? Is that enough reason to place us on the wanted list?)
Fauzhea Guiani of Anakbayan-SMR said the social media post was a clear form of harassment and intimidation against progressive groups, particularly the youth who advocate for people’s rights. She said the youth have become targets because they no longer turn a blind eye to the atrocities happening in the country.
Guiani emphasized the importance of the youth not being afraid to voice their concerns and question the government. She said the public has the right to critical thinking and that organizing is not a crime, while asking for justice, education, livelihood, rights, and other democratic rights is not terrorism.
Representatives from the progressive groups also expressed that the PNP should be held accountable for spreading false information against progressive and activist groups in the region. They also condemned the current administration and called for the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac).
During the press conference, progressive group leaders tore pieces of paper bearing images of the now-deleted social media post by PNP Cateel, which allegedly tagged them as “Active Wanted Persons,” in protest against the posting.
Social media posting
The progressive groups reported that there were two social media posts uploaded on the Facebook page of PNP-Cateel that have since been taken down.
The groups said they learned about the posts through a source who provided screenshots. According to them, the posts contained their photos, names, and organizational affiliations.
They said the first post was uploaded around 8:45 a.m., while the second was posted around 8:47 a.m. Later that afternoon, they discovered that the posts had been deleted; however, they believe the posts remained online for around eight hours.
The first post garnered 11 reactions, one comment, and two shares, while the second received 26 reactions, three comments, and three shares. They believe that because of the reach of social media, the posts were already seen by many individuals, especially since they were tagged with the Davao Oriental Police Office.
Approximately 14 individuals were included in the list. Of that number, nine were youth leaders, three were student leaders from the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin), while the remaining individuals were leaders and spokespersons from progressive groups.
The progressive leaders believe there were more individuals included in the list, noting that the photos posted appeared cropped. They also suspect that copies may still exist in police stations across the region.
‘Error’
PNP-Cateel apologized for the inconvenience caused by the now-deleted social media post that wrongly tagged progressive leaders on its Facebook page.
Police Major Michael P. Celecio, chief of police of PNP-Cateel, said the post was uploaded in error, noting that their page is typically used to raise awareness and seek public assistance in locating individuals with standing warrants.
“Wala me intention ipost tu siya. Mistake lang gyud to nga napost siya sa among social media (We had no intention of posting it. It was just a mistake that it got posted on our social media),” he said in a media interview on the same day.
Celecio said that after learning about the post, he immediately ordered its deletion.
Following the incident, he said they would strengthen their screening process before posting content on their Facebook account. He added that their intention was only to raise public awareness and provide services to the public.
“We take full responsibility for the oversight and show the public that verification and review procedures should be implemented before posting information on our official social media platforms,” he said.
He also clarified that the progressive leaders have no standing warrants and are not wanted in Cateel.
Celecio said they had already reached out to the individuals involved and asked forgiveness from them and their families.
Following the apology issued by PNP-Cateel, Gabriela Youth Davao condemned the statement, saying it did not erase the danger, fear, and harm caused by the post. The group said the post endangered the safety, welfare, and mental well-being of those included in the list.
The group stressed that falsely branding activists as wanted individuals and dismissing it as a simple “error” is a dangerous act that fuels intimidation, harassment, and public vilification against progressive groups. They added that the incident reflects the culture of criminal-tagging and attacks against dissenters through the NTF-Elcac.
Gabriela Youth said advocating for women’s rights, social welfare, and accountability should never be grounds for harassment or false accusations. They said they would continue advancing the struggles of women and Filipinos against oppression, injustice, and violence.
Safety of students
Following the social media post, the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin) said it extends full support to any member of the UP Mindanao community facing threats, harassment, or distress due to the now-deleted social media post by PNP Cateel.
“The University of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao administration firmly reiterates its commitment to safeguarding its students, faculty, and staff from unsubstantiated public insinuations, red-tagging, or harassment resulting from their critical stances on public issues,” UPMin said in its statement on May 28.
UPMin urged any student, faculty, or staff member experiencing distress or security concerns to contact the university through its official hotline and email, citing that emergency assistance remains available to ensure their safety and protect their rights.
The university said it is currently investigating and validating details regarding reports of external enforcement activities. It stressed that its commitment to due process and student welfare is “absolute and immediate.” RGP
