A/HRC/44/22 51. The pervasive nature of government red-tagging is clearly illustrated by the inclusion of 649 names in the Government’s court petition to designate the Communist Party of the Philippines and NPA as terrorist groups under the Human Security Act. The list included indigenous and other rights defenders, and a United Nations special rapporteur. Many were subsequently removed from the list, but continued to report harassment,71 and labelling as terrorists. On 5 November 2019, a senior army intelligence official provided Congress with a list of national and international organizations that allegedly provide financial support to and serve as fronts for the “communist terrorist group” 72 – despite independent audits providing evidence to the contrary for several of the organizations.73 52. Such public labelling has proved extremely dangerous. In 2018, for instance, posters and hit lists claiming to depict Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-National Democratic Front of the Philippines personalities were circulated in the island of Negros.74 At least four of the human rights defenders listed were subsequently murdered: activist Haide Flores, lawyer Benjamin Ramos Jr., city councillor Bernardino Patigas and lawyer Anthony Trinidad. All four murders remain unsolved. 53. Numerous human rights defenders have shared with OHCHR death threats that they have received in text messages or phone calls or on social media. One red-tagged rights defender, Honey Mae Suazo, has been missing since 2 November 2019. She had previously received many threats in relation to her work documenting violations against peasant farmers and indigenous peoples in southern Mindanao. 75 Other women human rights defenders have additionally been threatened with rape and been harassed with sexual slurs.76 54. The police and the military reportedly use visits and raids to intimidate nongovernmental organizations and civil society;77 this has also occurred during the COVID-19 lockdown. Some individuals are detained and released, while others face charges, such as illegal possession of firearms, abduction and sedition.78 While judicial remedies such as the Supreme Court’s writ of amparo are available, in one recent case, members of civil society seeking such temporary protection orders against the Government were themselves charged with perjury.79 55. Red-tagging, harassment and killings of trade unionists continue.80 Intervention by State security forces in union meetings and affairs, threats, and profiling of members – including of a national alliance of teachers 81 – have been reported. The Committee on 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 See A/HRC/39/41, A/HRC/42/30, and A/73/18, chap. II, sect. A, for Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination decision 1 (95) on the Philippines. See www.congress.gov.ph/legisdocs/cdb/cdb18-v1i33-20191105.pdf. See also https://philippines.oxfam.org/latest/press-release/oxfam-statement-inclusion-afp%E2%80%99s-list%E2%80%9Ccommunist-terror-groups%E2%80%9D. For example, an independent audit process by the Government of Belgium found no irregularities with the Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights (Karapatan): see www.dekamer.be/doc/CCRI/pdf/55/ic075x.pdf. See annexes I and II below. See https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunication File?gId=25006. See also Working Group on Arbitrary Detention opinion No. 61/2018, https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublic CommunicationFile?gId=23035, A/HRC/42/30, A/HRC/40/60/Add.1 and A/HRC/40/52. See https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunication File?gId=25006. See also https://cnnphilippines.com/regional/2020/2/7/tacloban-raid-progressivegroup.html. See also A/HRC/32/35/Add.3 and https://lawyersforlawyers.org/en/philippines-lawyersorganizations-worldwide-call-on-aquino-government-to-address-attacks-against-filipino-lawyers/. See www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1095366. See www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---relconf/documents/meetingdocument/ wcms_713974.pdf. See www.deped.gov.ph/2019/01/07/statement-on-the-alleged-inventory-of-alliance-of-concernedteachers-members-by-the-philippine-national-police/ and https://news.abscbn.com/news/01/06/19/alliance-of-concerned-teachers-slams-police-profiling. 11