MAD rebukes Parlade’s ‘irresponsible’ red-tagging against La Viña

By Nash Villena, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
January 10, 2026

(Photo courtesy: Movement Against Disinformation/Facebook)

MANILA, Philippines — The Movement Against Disinformation (MAD) called out Thursday the “dangerous” red-tagging remarks made by retired Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) commander Antonio Parlade Jr. against the organization’s president, Atty. Antonio La Viña.

MAD underscored that baseless accusations toward anyone “endanger individuals and erode democratic discourse,” and Parlade’s acts serve “no legitimate purpose other than to harass, intimidate, and deter a lawyer from representing human rights defenders who are facing trumped-up charges and strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs).”

Citing a Supreme Court’s ruling, MAD affirmed that red-tagging “imperils the rights to life, liberty, and security and chills legitimate advocacy,” and the practice “corrodes the rule of law and endangers those it labels and vilifies.”

Despite repeated attacks, MAD, composed of legal practitioners, journalists, human rights advocates, and non-profit organizations, remains firm in upholding its duty to provide services for Filipinos who are targeted by malicious forces for exercising their constitutional rights and professional duties.

“Red-tagging must not be normalized or tolerated in the Philippines. In targeting a lawyer for performing his professional duties, these attacks strike at the heart of the constitutional right to counsel and the independence of the legal profession,” a part of MAD’s statement read.

Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima also expressed her solidarity with the movement’s statement while also urging Congress to pass her filed House Bill No. 1841, or the “Anti-Red-Tagging Act”.

“Wakasan ang banta sa ating karapatan, kaligtasan at sa katotohanan!” de Lima said on a Facebook post.

(End the threat to our rights, safety, and the truth!)