Various youth organizations and human rights defenders strongly condemned the Cateel Municipal Police Station in Davao Oriental for releasing the threatening “Active Wanted Persons” posters on May 27. The groups said the social media post is a malicious form of Red-tagging that directly threatens the lives of the named youth.

PNP Cateel placed around 14 individuals on the poster. These include Kabataan Partylist-Southern Mindanao (KPL-SMR) chairperson Cobbie Jan Canda; Harvey Lao, KPL vice president for Mindanao; KPL 5th nominee Jayvie Cabajes; and Emmanuel Pamaylaon of UP Mindanao. The poster also listed UP Mindanao University Student Council chairperson Lara Felescoso; Genesis Catalan of Anakbayan; and Anakbayan-SMR spokesperson Fauzhea Guiani. Police have since taken down the “wanted list.”

Canda in a statement denounced the Cateel police. He said the release of the wanted list opened the victims to attacks and harassment by troll soldiers and paid state propagandists. The disinformation it spread severely affected their mental health and the security of their families. Rauf Sissay of BAYAN-SMR said the list aims to intimidate and silence the youth.

Cateel PNP chief Police Major Michael Celecio strains belief by claiming the posting was an “error.” Gabriela Youth said removing the post does not erase the threat it created or the damage to the victims’ reputation and dignity. The groups believe the incident links with the systematic campaign of the National Task Force-Elcac to criminalize legitimate dissent.

The incident took place amid a series of Red-tagging cases in the region, including online harassment of UP Mindanao students from May 21–25 through the Facebook page “Red Watch Community.” A similar pattern marked the case of Jay Apiag of Karapatan-SMR, who suffered surveillance after being placed on similar posters in 2024. He was later charged with fabricated cases and arrested that same year.

In response, KPL-SMR and Karapatan will file a formal complaint with the Commission on Human Rights to hold the Cateel PNP accountable. They demand a thorough investigation to secure justice and stop the culture of repression against activists in Mindanao.