Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Panay officials filed administrative cases on December 20, 2024 against two soldiers assigned in Panay. Bayan secretary-general Elmer Forro and Bayan-Aklan spokesperson Kim-Sin Tugna filed a case of “grave misconduct” against Staff Sergeants Nathan dela Cruz and Ernel Mallan of the 3rd ID-3rd Civil-Military Operations Battalion.

The case filed stems from the soldiers’ malicious association of the two leaders with the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army in the military’s radio program, “Spearhead Times,” aired by a local station. The two soldiers repeatedly red-tagged the progressives between May and October of last year.

Forro and Tugna said the soldiers’ repeated red-tagging violated their civil and political rights and endangered their lives, freedom, and security. The Supreme Court last year defined Red-tagging and its dangers in a case involving Seigfred Deduro, an activist also based in Panay.

“The culture of vilification and repression is beyond verbal attacks,” Bayan-Panay said in a statement. According to group, the 3rd ID deploys military units in civilian areas to conduct surveillance and sow terror in Panay communities.