Defend workers’ rights, stop red-tagging!

EILER has recorded three incidents of red-tagging from December 2024 to February 2025 in District 4, Quezon City.

The first incident took place in December 2024, when a sack was hung on the building where the institution’s office is located. The sack labeled EILER as a “terrorist recruiter.”

The second incident happened in January 2025, when another sack was found posted on a lot across the same building. This fence is often used to display campaign posters for electoral candidates. The sack carried a message accusing Bayan Muna Partylist of being a “terrorist recruiter.”

The third and most recent incident occurred in February 2025, when a sticker was placed at the entrance of the building, again accusing EILER of being a “terrorist recruiter” and claiming that “many have died because of EILER!”

EILER is a non-government and non-profit labor institution that promotes workers’ dignity through education and labor research. Founded in 1981 with the support of church groups and labor leaders, the institution’s Board of Trustees and staff have stood in solidarity with workers and marginalized sectors in their struggles for living wages, humane working conditions, job security, the welfare of women and LGBTQIA+ workers, and freedom of association. These are fundamental rights recognized by international conventions, the Labor Code, and the Philippine Constitution. In fact, since 2019, EILER is one of the staunchest campaigners for the ratification of the ILO Convention No. 190 in the Philippine, which aims to combat gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work.

Red-tagging as a tool for repression

There have been 80 cases of red-tagging and harassment against labor rights defenders under the Marcos Jr. administration. [1]

Meanwhile, development workers and NGOs are also facing severe attacks. According
to a survey of non-profit organizations, 62% of responses claim to have experienced red-tagging, surveillance, and harassment in various platforms. A total of 33% have been accused of allegedly funding terrorism, and 17% face legal cases related to these accusations [2].

EILER strongly opposes these schemes that put the institution and the workers it serves in grave danger. As the host of the Workers Electoral Watch — a network of unions and workers advocating for democratic and fair elections — EILER also condemns the red-tagging of any individual or partylist legitimately campaigning in the elections. Cases of red-tagging against candidates have emerged as the top election-related violations in the 2025 Elections. [3]

Red-tagging is state-sponsored repression, where legal organizations (such as EILER) are falsely branded as terrorists or linked to armed groups. Red-tagging is used to attack individuals and organizations legally working for social justice and workers’ rights. Red-tagging impacts include human rights violations, extrajudicial killings, and chilling effect on fundamental freedoms.

EILER challenges the Marcos Jr. administration to take concrete steps to put an end to the rampant red-tagging and other forms of repression against civil and political liberties. These include workers’ key demand of dismantling of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), the government agency primarily responsible for red-tagging progressive organizations and individuals.

Furthermore, the recommendations of the All Philippine Trade Unions to the ILO-High Level Tripartite Mission (ILO-HLTM) in 2023—attended by government representatives, business sector leaders, and various labor organizations—must be immediately implemented. These include establishing an independent body to swiftly address cases of attacks on workers’ lives, security, and freedom of association. EILER has actively contributed its free services in documenting rights violations against workers and unionists, as well as formulating recommendations included in the ILO HLTM report.

Call for solidarity against red-tagging

EILER calls on workers, labor organizations, unions, and partner NGOs to stand firm and resist the widespread red-tagging.
✔ Issue solidarity statements in support of EILER and its Board and Staff.
✔ Write to Marcos Jr. Administration demanding an end to red-tagging.
✔ Join mobilizations to defend workers’ democratic rights and demand justice for victims and survivors of red-tagging.

[1] Figures from documentation of CTUHR
[2] Report released by DefendNGOs Alliance
[3] Lists of Campaign Violations from election watchdogs VoteReportPH and Kontradaya