COUNCILOR George Goking, chair of the City Council committees on trade and commerce and on ways and means, will soon tackle the request of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUPJ) for the protection of the city of Cagayan de Oro against sustained red-tagging.
The NUPJ Petitioners, in their Urgent Joint-Petition Seeking Protection, stated that they have been branded as being connected to or supporters of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army. This was allegedly inflicted to them by way of streamers, posters, leaflets, graffiti, and social media posts.
It was learned that the petitioners fear for their lives and the lives of their families. According to them, these are meant to silence the press and dissent, incite violence against their persons and institutions, immobilize them from pursuing the sacred oaths to render succor and services to the marginalized and persecuted, thwart their pursuit of legitimate social issues, and deflect public disapproval of anti-people policies, programs and priorities of the present dispensation.
On July 14, NUJP national officers met with Mayor Oscar Moreno in the city regarding cases of threats and harassment involving journalists.
NUJP had asked the mayor to tap the police and village watchmen to arrest on site those responsible for hanging streamers, tarpaulins and similar materials with red tagging messages.
Petitioners are urgently requesting for the favorable action of the legislative body through a City Council resolution adopting the joint petition, and for its implementation by Mayor Oscar Moreno. (sp)
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