The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines urges the Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee in the Cordillera to drop its ill-conceived plan to subject leftists, including our colleagues in media, to the controversial “tokhang” tactic of the murderous war on drugs.

The abhorrent tactic envisioned by RLECC-CAR Resolution No. 04 s. 2021 is anathema to democracy. Not only does it violate basic civil rights by arbitrarily judging people sans due process, it also poses a real danger to life and limb given the trail of bodies tokhang has left in the drug war.

By what stretch of imagination do law enforcers presume to target perfectly legal personalities, left-leaning though they be, from government, media and other entities?

We call on government officials and our colleagues in the Cordillera to reject this abomination that would literally criminalize political belief, dissent, and freedom of expression.

Reference:

National Directorate

+639175155991