Defend Southern Tagalog (ST) strongly condemned the attempt to declare progressive leaders of Southern Tagalog as persona non grata (PNG) in Bacoor City, Cavite.

The National Task Force-Elcac and Task Force Ugnay (TFU) pressured the city council to issue a resolution declaring as PNG the KASAMA-TK former deputy secretary general Jeverlyn Seguin; Pamalakaya-Cavite coordinator Aries Soledad; Coalition of Concerned coordinator Lasalians Paolo Tarra; and John Peter Angelo “Jpeg” Garcia, former chairperson of Youth Advocates for Peace and Justice-UPLB and third nominee of Kabataan Partylist in the 2025 elections. The council did not proceed with the resolution to avoid potential legal liability and effects on the city’s reputation. According to Defend ST, TFU is also pushing some councils in some towns of Cavite and Laguna to declare the said activists as PNG.

“The effort to declare persona non grata is not governance. It is political harassment masquerading as law enforcement. It is an attempt to turn Red-tagging into policy through the passage of a local resolution,” the group explained.

“It starts with threats. Harassment and intimidation follows. Then Red-tagging and fabricated cases. It culminates in imprisonment, and in the worst cases, abduction or murder. It thus began before the victims of the Bloody Sunday massacre in the region were killed five years ago,” Seguin declared. “Should the people truly declare anyone persona non grata, it is the AFP and NTF-Elcac who repeatedly use power and people’s funds to suppress the very people they should serve.”

Cavite is currently under de facto martial law under the management of Task Force Ugnay, 202nd IBde, and 2nd ID. Hundreds of soldiers have stationed in communities of farmers, fisherfolk, and urban poor since December 2023 to sow fear and drive people from the land they occupy to make way for massive projects in Cavite. Those subjected to militarization include Lupang Ramos occupied by 2nd CMO of TFU and “Bagwis Company,” and Lupang Tartaria occupied by 1st Bagsik Platoon and 2nd CMO.

The province recorded approximately 300 cases of violations of the civil and political rights of the people from 2024 to 2025. These include various forms of threats, intimidation, surveillance, and harassment against communities and activist leaders in the region.

Seguin, Tarra, Soledad, and Garcia filed a complaint on March 6 with the Commission on Human Rights regarding the intensifying attacks on activists and relentless Red-tagging, harassment, and intimidation, including online. Alongside the complaint filing was a press conference to mark the 5th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday Massacre.

Defend ST calls on the Bacoor local government to formally withdraw or junk the proposed resolution for declaring the activists as PNG. It states that the local government should address the needs of its people, including resolving their issues, such as the coastal reclamation project, the livelihoods of fisherfolk, and the lack of housing security for poor families.

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