Marcos II’s minions have really lost their minds. Maybe because of too much gun powder inhalation. Just recently, Boying Remulla, secretary of the Department of Justice himself defended red-tagging. He claims it as a part of democracy and calls it a form of criticism. What logic drove him to compare a plain criticism to the arbitrary and malicious tagging of members of different sectors that have been repeatedly used as grounds for these people to be military and police targets? Can he stand by his remark that these are just criticisms in front of the families of slain activists, progressives, church people and professionals who had been victims of red-tagging? This illustrates the true colors of a rotten state that not only attacks its people but even defends the patent violations of rights.

In the country, being red-tagged is comparable to being a direct target for neutralization. Especially since the bloodthirsty police and military spares no victim. Just to be tagged as an enemy of the state, even arbitrarily, is enough to threaten, intimidate, arrest, torture and kill an individual – no matter his station in life might be.

Officials such as Remulla running after the defense of this systematic act of repression and attacks on the civilian population is truly abominable. Instead of disciplining the military, police and all entities who have indiscriminately accused the people of being enemies of the state, he was fine with them blatantly attacking the masses although they have not committed any verifiable crime.

The likes of Remulla proves just how little this reactionary goverrnment’s value and respect for the people’s welfare really is. He illustrates just how rotten this system is that only thinks of the ruling elite’s interests. They do not care even if tagging ordinary Filipinos brings forth abuses and even death. What they care about is effectively suppressing the people’s struggle and preserving themselves in power.

The exploited and oppressed masses have nothing to expect from this heartless government. Only in exercising their highest form of democracy – taking up arms to defend themselves against the state itself, can the people find their salvation. Only with the triumph of the people’s democratic revolution can genuine national democracy not founded on suppression and exploitation can truly begin to grow and progress.