Human rights groups and progressive organizations lauded the third and final reading passage of the Baguio City Council’s Human Rights Defenders Ordinance (City Council Resolution 763-2023) on December 9. This came after more than five years of advocacy to recognize the rights of human rights defenders and protect them from attacks, such as harassment, red-tagging, and other forms of intimidation and violence.

“In the midst of shrinking civic spaces, we laud and thank the Baguio City Council for passing [the proposal] which recognizes the importance of human rights work and institutionalize [human rights defenders’] protection,” the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) stated.

Since 2018, the Cordillera Youth Center, Tongtongan ti Umili, Youth Act Now Against Tyranny Baguio-Benguet, CHRA, and other organizations have been campaigning for policies and programs to protect human rights defenders. The ordinance consequently includes a comprehensive framework to protect human rights defense activities in the city.

The ordinance outlines 19 rights of human rights defenders. It also includes the establishment of sanctuaries for at-risk human rights defenders and victims of rights violations, the provision of legal and psychosocial support, penalties for red-tagging, and activities to raise public awareness of their rights.

It stipulates that state forces and public authorities must immediately stop or withdraw any red-tagging activities. If they fail to comply, they can face administrative and criminal charges. They can be fined between ₱1,000 and ₱5,000.

The ordinance also stipulates the definition and scope of red-tagging, which includes labeling or calling individuals or organizations as communists, subversives, and terrorists in school activities, spreading these on social media, and government-supported smear campaigns.

Despite strong opposition from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) during public hearings and debates in recent months, the Baguio City Council pushed through with the ordinance. The council already submitted the ordinance to the office of Baguio City Mayor Magalong for signing into local law.

“Without the collective effort of the people, measures to ensure the protection of our human rights would not exist,” Gabriel Siscar, the fourth nominee of the Kabataan Party-list based in Cordillera, said.