Altermidya and Northern Dispatch condemned the Red-tagging of Ilocos journalist and College Editors Guild of the Philippines regional coordinator Iggy Lammi-ing.

The groups stated that the Red-tagging of Lammi-ing is alarming and infuriating because it endangers the victim with threats of imprisonment and even death.

Lammi-ing covers issues of peasants, human rights violations, youth, and communities’ struggles against destructive projects.

“This incident shows that they target him not only for organizing journalists on campuses, but also for his reporting on dredging in Ilocos Sur and the situation of La Union fisherfolk,” the groups explained.

Although the organization “Tagapagtanggol ng Bayan Laban sa Komunismo” claimed the red-tagging, the state and NTF-Elcac cannot deny their role in spreading and normalizing harassment in the country that endangers victims to violence from the state and its agents.

According to the groups, with the Commission on Human Rights’ affirmation of the danger of Red-tagging and the need for immediate action, and even the Supreme Court’s decision, CHR Region I has the obligation to investigate the incident, with or without a formal complaint from the victims.

These decisions and orders on Red-tagging bestows local officials a moral obligation to ensure victims’ safety and investigate these attacks.

Altermidya and Northern Dispatch call on the local governments of Ilocos Sur and La Union to take appropriate and immediate action on the incident. The groups also pledged to closely monitor the progress of Lammi-ing’s case.