CLB to MCPO: Investigate red-tagging
Red-tagging posters posted near the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB) is asking the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) to investigate the red-tagging incident of their group using posters placed in the vicinity of the Cebu International Convention Center.
“We are requesting for investigation before the Mandaue City Police Office regarding the recent red-tagging incident implicating CLB as one of the Communist Terrorist Groups as shown in posters placed in the vicinity of the Cebu International Convention Center,” said CLB in a statement.
CLB said that they have always coordinated with the law enforcement agencies including the Philippine National Police (PNP) in child-related cases such as trafficking and online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC).
They have also been involved in providing training for Women and Children Protection Desks (WCPDs).
“The same efforts were made to PNP when several parents of the Lumad students sought our legal assistance. Because of the long history of coordination and cooperation between CLB and law enforcement agencies, the serious allegation that CLB is a communist terrorist group is purely baseless and unfounded,” said CLB.
The CLB hopes the MCPO would look into these posters and investigate who has placed them there. The CLB said they will continue to function “in catering to the needs of child survivors and working with our stakeholders and the public for the benefit of all children.”
Meanwhile, the group is withdrawing its assistance to the parents of one of the six Lumad students who are under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Cebu City after being “rescued” by the police from a retreat house in the city.
The CLB said in a statement that they will no longer assist the particular parents because the mother of the 17-year-old female Lumad student traveled from Sultan Kudarat to Cebu on February 25, 2021, in coordination with their local social welfare office to claim her child.
“No communication was made to CLB by the mother before she arrived in Cebu,” said CLB.
“The parents of the Lumad student previously sought the assistance of CLB by answering our online legal assistance form, which may be accessed anywhere in the Philippines,” the statement added.
During a conference between the parents and CLB, they ask the CLB to inform DSWD about their intent to bar any effort to transport their child without their consent and to designate our organization to take custody of their child until they would reach Cebu to pick the child.
Representatives from CLB then visited DSWD the next day, February 23, 2021, to confirm whether their daughter is taken to the same facility.
A case manager from DSWD confirmed the presence of their daughter and acknowledged the CLB’s participation in aiding the parents of the minor after showing the necessary documents.
“Because of the recent development of the mother’s arrival in Cebu, their request for legal assistance is deemed withdrawn. Our organization respects the decision of the parents to personally fetch the daughter if this would serve the best interest of the child. CLB is also willing to provide any assistance to the same parents if they wish to avail of our services,” said CLB. /rcg
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