Wearing a dark red rose beaded gown, Rabiya Mateo emphatically answered the last two questions which other than her stunning beauty earned her the much coveted crown of Miss Philippines 2020. In the final round, she spoke her words much panctuated by courage and hope, first exemplifying the late senator Meriam Defensor-Santiago as “somebody who puts her heart, her passion into action” and second offering herself “as a candidate . . . carrying hope and as a symbol of light in the darkest time”.
“Stressing the essence of a beauty pageant [having the] power to make a difference,” a lady in red has won the admiration not only from other women but also from every Filipino watching the pageant from their homes, inspirithem amidst of anguish from the onslaught of coronavirus pandemic.
Hashtagging versus redtagging
But not for other women, including celebrities, who sounded ‘red” in their advocacies for women and children’s rights. Not lucky enough for actress Angel Locsin whose sister Ella Colmenares is being red-tagged by Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. as having links to communist rebels and as “part of the underground”
Literally wearing in red dress and red lipstick, Angel Locsin retorted with her symbolic online gesture of hashtagging — #NoToRedTagging and #YesToRedLipstick.
Not long after, the said military official warned two other female celebrities Liza Soberano and Miss Universe Catriona Gray for being vocal against gender abuse and supporting an online forum about abuse against women and children.
At first, when Lt. Gen. Parlade warned the outspoken celebrities “not to follow the path of Ka Ella” and advised them to “abdicate that group”, he appeared to be a man of good intention”. However, when he followed it up with the statement that “If you don’t, you will suffer the same fate as Josephine Anne Lapira . . .” his motive is now being held in suspect; his reason now collides with different colors of interpretations.
By pivoting on the statement that he had nothing against women’s rights but he was against Gabriela and by insisting that his was taken “out of context.” may not altogether spare Lt. Gen Parlade from a perception the he is red-tagging the female celebrities. Even if he said that the camp of Liza Soberano thanked him for giving such warning, apparently it was perceived by many as not coming from a protective military official but it was designed to bring a chilling effect not only to the female celebrities but to other Filipinos, women and men alike, who legitimately espoused similar advocacies.
Tactical publicity over legality
At a glance, it made a little sense because by associating Ella with her celebrity sister Angel Locsin, it is easier to raise the level of anti-communist propaganda in the people’s mindset. But when Lt. Gen. Parlade shoved the mes of Liza Soberano and Catriona Gray to the center stage of media platform, the first end of the link is gradually losing its connection, much less its grip to the other end.
It did not make sense at all except if we will assume that his move was not more of enforcing a law than employing a tactical publicity. With his wit and eloquence, it not fair to pass judgment on the reasonability of Parlade’s interpretation of Anti-terror Law. For sure, he knows the law but at this stage of the game, tactical approach matters more than a legal one. Tactical because by putting even a mere semblance of red on women celebrities’ political stance, it is expected to trigger public attention and, as it was unfolding, it has reddened the space virally both in social and traditional media.
Reasonable link between social advocacy and public safety
But what’s wrong with wearing red, literally or ideologically? Where in a democratic space and free society could any woman be wrong -reg-tagged – when she speaks of her rights and support the welfare of her gender and children? How can a reasonably minded person conclude that by supporting the rights of women and children and sharing progressive view on some social issues with the left, one becomes a terrorist.
More than ascribing colors within the ideological spectrum; more than a tactical or political maneuvering; and more than a mere wave of bashings from netizens, any form of red-tagging or any daring act of linking some women to reds deserves a closer scrutiny. It does not only require an imaginary way of connecting the dots but it demands an intervention of reason based on the constitution and existing laws.
In connecting the links between the female celebrities and the communist organization, Lt. Gen. Parlade must strike a balance by creating a reasonable link between advancing social advocacy and ensuring public safety. We must be mindful that only when “it is intended to cause death or serious physical harm to a person, to endanger a person’s life or to create a serious risk to public safety that it becomes an act of terrorism.”
Especially so when it is made clear in anti-terror law that “advocacy, protest, dissent xx creative, artistic and cultural expressions or other similar exercises of civil and political rights are not one of those considered acts of terrorism.” It simply means that as long as it within the parameters of non-violent activism, it is covered by the mantle of protection of freedom of speech, expression and even assembly enshrined in the constitution.
Winning tactic turning into a losing crusade
An impetuous deductive reasoning (Liza Soberano and Catriona Gray support or share the activist view and advocacies of Angel Locsin who is a sister of Ella; Ella is a member of Gabriela; Gabriela is a communist organization; Ergo, Liza Soberano and Catriona Gray and Angel Locsin are communists.) may not only pose danger to their lives but it will put restraint upon the freedom expression of all citizens who would simply express their views on any matter of utmost social concern or political significance.
In making such association with the reds, it is incumbent upon Lt. Gen Parlade to invoke an applicable law, carrying with him a verifiable and credible set of evidence coupled with a firm resolve to file cases in the court of law, not a mere rhetoric and empty sloganeering lodged in a social media forum.
Besides, this kind of political gesture may undermine the real essence of anti-terror law and its enforcement may be put to further judicial test. Truth be told that as it was being enacted and signed into law, it had met with a wave of public disapproval followed by more than a dozen of petitions before the Supreme Court. Thus, by reddening the gender space through the celebrities, anti-terror law may encounter a downside of popularity and most likely, it would suffer a fate of unacceptability at the doorstep of the entire Filipino household. An otherwise presumably winning tactic of harping on women celebrities would turn into a losing crusade against terror as well as insurgency.
Baby River signifies a red flag
So much with romanticizing with color red, let’s get serious on the issues on women and children, otherwise, we will face again a sad reality portraying a mother detainee in handcuffs, who could not hug her child but only touched the glass of a coffin in tears, saying his last goodbye to her three-month old baby River who died of acute respiratory distress syndrome and was buried in her grave.
What kind of society we are creating if we cannot attend the needs and respect the rights of poor childen and women, even in detention? What happened to the long standing tenet that those who have less in life must have more in law”?
When women wear red, it signifies a red flag – a wake up call for us all.
