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Joint Statement on Political Vilification Committed by the Baguio City Police Office

(BCPO)

By Kabataan Partylist Cordillera, Cordilleran Youth Center, Anakabayan Metro Baguio, National
Union of Students of the Philippines Baguio-Benguet, College Editors Guild of the Philippines
Baguio-Benguet, League of Filipino Students Metro Baguio, Innabuyog-Gabriela Youth

I. Background
Last October, a series of facebook posts by the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) through their
page “Bcpo Kasanggamo” circulated warning parents to stop and prevent their children to join
several national youth organizations, several of which have local chapters in Baguio City. The
series of posts also claim that aside from being members of rebel groups, the youth
organizations were conspiring to destabilize the government under the “Red October” plot which
was previously “discovered” and publicized by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and
Philippine National Police (PNP).
Similar claims by the AFP and member of the police force are also showcased in their series of
fora on safety and security, particularly the “Knowing your Enemy” discussion or similar
material, held at several universities in Baguio City during Freshmen Orientations and National
Service Training Program (NSTP) Forum.

BCPO’s “information campaign” reached a wide range of people in social media and university
students. In response, several youth groups mentioned by the BCPO filed a complaint at the
Commission Human Rights (CHR) Cordillera on October 22 and reported the case to the
Baguio City Council Meeting on November 12. The BCPO then posted on their page a preview
of a media interview claiming that the “information campaign” has ‘no malicious intent and do
not violate any rights of any individual and/or organizations.’ See attached: Screen Capture of
Bcpo Kasanggamo post
II. Implications
For several years, the youth organizations mentioned by the BCPO have been engaging in
different social and political activities to forward the youth and peoples’ rights and welfare. From
the national arena to different localities in the country, these organizations led the youth in
forwarding resolutions, dialogue with institutions and government units, education campaign on
several local and national issues and mass actions; all of which are ways to exercise youth’s
civil and political rights while advocating social development.
In Baguio City, youth campaigns resulted to the passage and institutionalization of the Baguio
Students Day and Kaigorotan Youth Week in partnership with the City council’s committee on
Education, Culture and Historical Research. Several proposed tuition and other fees increase in
different private universities were prevented due to legitimate youth actions while full recognition
youth and students’ rights are still being campaigned.

On the other hand, BCPO’s claim in their recent statement dated November 9, that the series of
posts and forum are aimed for the security and safety of the civilian population and has “no
malicious intention”, especially the youth, is in contradiction of several human rights they

violated. Categorically, the series of posts and public discussions the BCPOs pose threat to
security and liberty to individual members and organizations. More alarmingly, the BCPO not
only circulates malicious information but also criminalizes and invalidates legitimate youth
organizations and advocacies.
BCPOs recent “information campaign” can be classified as political vilification. This violation
intends to quell legitimate peoples’ dissent hindering the full exercise of rights and preventing
the people to voice their grievances or pursue advocacies. Political vilification violates:
1. Right to life and liberty – It endangers the lives and liberties who are politically vilified.
They become vulnerable, legitimate or otherwise, of further human right violations such
as surveillance and intimidation, trumped-up charges and even arrest, disappearances
and even extrajudicial killings that happened in many vilified youth and mass leaders.
2. Right to Security – It wreaks mental and psychological torture on victims. It
decapacitates the victim from performing his/her usual activities because of well-founded
fear.
3. Democracy - It silences and disempowers its victims most commonly by criminalizing
them. It suppresses freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of
association, among other civil and political rights which are necessary in a democratic
society.
4. Right to Equality – Victims become the unequal “others” who thereby suffer from social
and political exclusion, bigotry and prejudice.

III. Demands and Recommendations


With this, the BCPO must be held accountable for its actions. The violations they committed not
only damaged the organizations but also undermines the history and victories of the youth
movement. Additionally, the BCPO must also be reminded that its duty is to serve and protect
its people especially the poor, oppressed, and marginalized majority regardless of political
belief.
Thus, the undersigned organizations demand that the BCPO must:

1. Publish a public apology for its recent actions against the youth organizations they
vilified.
2. Prevent publishing and/or disseminating malicious information in any form that may
violate the rights of any individual or organization.

Meanwhile, to prevent futher political vilification, as it does not only happens with the youth, we
strongly recommend the Baguio City Council to:

1. Pass a resolution preventing the BCPO to hold the “Knowing your Enemy” discussion or
any similar forum material and “information drives” vilifying various youth organizations
in schools.
2. Pass an human rights defenders’ protection (anti-political vilification) ordinance that
sanctions any government official and/or authorities who violates it while ensuring just
reparation for the victims.
3. Hold a continuous education campaign on Human Rights.
4. Support the passage of the human rights defenders’ protection bill (HB 1617) filed at the
Philippine Congress.

Signed,

Christian Dave Ruz


Spokesperson, Kabataan Partylist Cordillera

Casselle Jannica Ton


Administrative Officer, Cordilleran Youth Center

Julius Baquiran
Chairperson, Anakabayan Metro Baguio

Louise Montenegro
Co-spokesperson, National Union of Students of the Philippines Baguio-Benguet

Quimberlyn Ranchez
Vice Chairperson, College Editors Guild of the Philippines Baguio-Benguet

Christian Valdez Patricio


Chairperson, League of Filipino Students Metro Baguio

Screen Capture of Bcpo Kasanggamo posts

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