20/12/2025
CDRN Statement on Red-tagging of its regional partner, TABI
The Citizens' Disaster Response Network (CDRN), a network of humanitarian and development agencies in the Philippines, condemns the blatant red-tagging, intimidation, and harassment of the staff members and a consultant of its regional partner, Tarabang para sa Bicol, Inc. (TABI)—a pioneer of community-based disaster management in the Bicol Region. These practices are a deliberate attempt to malign the organization and recklessly endanger the lives of its members.
A consolidated report dated November 30, 2025, documented the posting of malicious materials in Legazpi City, Sto. Domingo, Castilla, and Naga City, falsely associating Aubrey Versoza, Executive Director of TABI, and Dr. Rose Sambo, a TABI consultant, with groups they are not affiliated with. We are further alarmed that TABI staff member and CDRN Deputy Secretary General Sherra Buen has been subjected to continuous surveillance and suspicious visits. This escalation of intimidation and harassment poses a serious threat to their safety and security.
This situation is particularly alarming, as these attacks on TABI may be a prelude to more intense forms of human rights violations, following the pattern experienced by other civil society organizations in the country, where initial red-tagging often escalates into greater risks and threats.
Contrary to these malicious accusations, TABI, its staff, and its consultant are legitimate development workers who have long empowered vulnerable and disaster-affected communities in Bicol through sustained programs and services. These include localized capacity-building initiatives for disaster preparedness and response, community health programs, and efforts to advance climate resilience through agroecology—interventions that are increasingly necessary amid worsening climate risks. TABI’s long-running Bicol Farmers School has capacitated, particularly young farmers, in organic and science-based farming practices.
Vilifying TABI not only undermines its work but also threatens its capacity to serve marginalized communities. In recent years, CDRN member organizations across the country have endured various forms of attacks, including red-tagging, intimidation of staff, the freezing of bank accounts, and the filing of baseless charges—many of which have been perpetrated by state forces, despite these organizations being actively engaged in coordination and partnerships with local government units and national agencies. Since the 1980s, CDRN has served millions of Filipinos, and TABI has played a critical role in disaster preparedness and response in the Bicol Region, an area that frequently serves as the gateway of destructive typhoons.
Despite these attacks, TABI remains steadfast in its mandate to “Help Bicolanos Help Themselves,” particularly in responding to the impacts of Super Typhoon Uwan. CDRN demands immediate accountability for those responsible for the malicious posters, harassment, and intimidation, and calls for an end to all forms of red-tagging and attacks against humanitarian and development workers and organizations.
CDRN Statement on Red-tagging of its regional partner, TABI:
The Citizens' Disaster Response Network (CDRN), a network of humanitarian and development agencies in the Philippines, condemns the blatant red-tagging, intimidation, and harassment of the staff members and a consultant of its regional partner, Tarabang para sa Bicol, Inc. (TABI)—a pioneer of community-based disaster management in the Bicol Region. These practices are a deliberate attempt to malign the organization and recklessly endanger the lives of its members.
A consolidated report dated November 30, 2025, documented the posting of malicious materials in Legazpi City, Sto. Domingo, Castilla, and Naga City, falsely associating Aubrey Versoza, Executive Director of TABI, and Dr. Rose Sambo, a TABI consultant, with groups they are not affiliated with. We are further alarmed that TABI staff member and CDRN Deputy Secretary General Sherra Buen has been subjected to continuous surveillance and suspicious visits. This escalation of intimidation and harassment poses a serious threat to their safety and security.
This situation is particularly alarming, as these attacks on TABI may be a prelude to more intense forms of human rights violations, following the pattern experienced by other civil society organizations in the country, where initial red-tagging often escalates into greater risks and threats.
Contrary to these malicious accusations, TABI, its staff, and its consultant are legitimate development workers who have long empowered vulnerable and disaster-affected communities in Bicol through sustained programs and services. These include localized capacity-building initiatives for disaster preparedness and response, community health programs, and efforts to advance climate resilience through agroecology—interventions that are increasingly necessary amid worsening climate risks. TABI’s long-running Bicol Farmers School has capacitated, particularly young farmers, in organic and science-based farming practices.
Vilifying TABI not only undermines its work but also threatens its capacity to serve marginalized communities. In recent years, CDRN member organizations across the country have endured various forms of attacks, including red-tagging, intimidation of staff, the freezing of bank accounts, and the filing of baseless charges—many of which have been perpetrated by state forces, despite these organizations being actively engaged in coordination and partnerships with local government units and national agencies. Since the 1980s, CDRN has served millions of Filipinos, and TABI has played a critical role in disaster preparedness and response in the Bicol Region, an area that frequently serves as the gateway of destructive typhoons.
Despite these attacks, TABI remains steadfast in its mandate to “Help Bicolanos Help Themselves,” particularly in responding to the impacts of Super Typhoon Uwan. CDRN demands immediate accountability for those responsible for the malicious posters, harassment, and intimidation, and calls for an end to all forms of red-tagging and attacks against humanitarian and development workers and organizations.
