Project Namnama

17/09/2025

Human rights group Global Witness reports seven murders and one long-term disappearance in the Philippines in 2024

10/04/2025

𝗞𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗔𝗡 𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘃𝘀 𝗟𝗮 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

KARAPATAN condemned the incidents of harassment perpetrated by elements of the 5th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army (IDPA) against a La Union-based youth organization that advocates education for all.

The Ilocos Human Rights Alliance (IHRA) has reported that three members of youth group Project Namnama (PN)—Pearl and Precious Baybayan and Haggeo Perez—received last March several unwanted visits from soldiers of the 5th IDPA, who interrogated the victims and tried to pressure them into disclosing the names and addresses of PN officers and members.

“Such harassment in not new,” said KARAPATAN secretary general Cristina Palabay, who cited an incident in 2023 when a community library established by Project Namnama in Sitio Nagpanaoan, Barangay Alaska, Aringay, La Union, with a permit from the Municipal Social Welfare Development Office and the Barangay Local Government Unit, was forced to close down after the police harassed and red-tagged the barangay official who allowed the establishment of the community library. The police alleged that the library carried “communist and anti-government readings.”

“In another instance,” said Palabay, “police disrupted a Pproject Namnama activity by abruptly pulling out parents and hauling them off to attend a supposed meeting on the Anti-Rape Law. The meeting, however, turned out to be a seminar that red-tagged progressive organizations.”

Palabay decried the fact that the 5th IDPA’s harassment of the youth activists persisted even after the victims filed a complaint with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Regional Office. The 5th IDPA claimed that La Union Gov. Raphaella David had authorized the 50th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, which is under the 5th ID’s command, to conduct a Community Support Program (CSP) in the province. “The CSP is the military’s monicker for psywar operations, under which the red-tagging, harassment and forced surrender of progressive organizations falsely alleged to have links with the armed rebellion is undertaken,” said Palabay.

“These red-tagging and harassment incidents are not harmless,” warned Palabay. “As the IHRA has noted, public vilification through red-tagging creates a political predicate for more severe human rights violations, including the filing of fabricated charges; procurement and ex*****on of search warrants based on fabricated statements from false or coached witnesses; and, in the most extreme cases, extrajudicial killings.”

“We urge the Commission on Human Rights to take action,” said Palabay. “Red-tagging is dangerous and must be stopped,” she concluded.

9 April 2025

09/04/2025

Salamat po Bahaghari - UP Baguio Chapter!

𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗢𝗙𝗙 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗦! 𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗢𝗙𝗙 𝗟𝗚𝗕𝗧𝗤𝗜𝗔+. 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗦! ✊🏳️‍🌈

Noong ika-3 ng Marso, 2025, binisita ng mga indibidwal mula sa 5th Infantry Division ng Philippine Army ang nakababatang kapatid at pamilya ng dating Bahaghari UP Baguio Chairperson na si Pearl Baybayan. Prinesyur ng mga indibidwal si Baybayan na ibunyag umano ang mga pangalan at tirahan ng mga miyembro at opisyal ng Project Namnama - isang La Union based youth organization kung saan sila kabilang.

Binigyan sila ng utos na magsulat ng affidavit na nag-uudyok sa kanilang pagtuligsa mula sa organisasyon para isumite sa Philippine Army. Si Pearl, kasama ang ibang kasamahan nito ay nagsumite ng reklamo sa Regional Office ng Komisyon ng Karapatang Pantao sa San Fernando, La Union noong ika-21 ng Marso.

Ang Bahaghari UPB ay nananawagan sa administrasyon ng UP Baguio at sa Crisis Management Committee na panindigan ang kanilang deklarasyon na ang red-tagging ay isang porma ng krisis. Dapat itong agad tugunan sa pamamagitan ng mga konkretong hakbang upang maprotektahan ang mga lider-estudyante at kinikilalang pangmasang organisasyon sa loob ng unibersidad laban sa patuloy na binabantaan ng paniniktik, intimidasyon, at red-tagging ng estado. Kabilang sa panawagan sa administrasyon ang aktibong pakikipag-ugnayan nila sa mga institusyong nagbibigay ng legal na suporta upang matulungan ang mga estudyanteng apektado.

Mariing kinukundena ng Bahaghari UPB ang mga atakeng ito ng AFP sa demokratikong karapatan ng mga mamamayan sa porma ng profiling, intimidation, at harassment. Hindi lamang ito banta laban sa mga progresibong indibidwal at organisasyon bagkus ito rin ay banta sa seguridad at kalayaan sa pagpapahayag, pagoorganisa, at aktibismo. Hindi dapat maging normal ang takot sa loob at labas ng pamantasan, at higit sa lahat, hindi dapat pinapayagan manaig ang pananakot ng estado.

Ang Project Namanma, kasama ang magkapatid na Baybayan, ay nais lamang na tumulong at makiisa sa kampanya para sa batayang serbisyo. Kaya, lalo nang masahol ang ganitong mga pandarahas dahil nilalagay din nito sa mapanganib at bulnerableng posisyon ang mga kabataang tinutulungan ng Project Namnama sa usapin ng pagtataguyod ng karapatan sa edukasyon at pagkatuto.

Kailanman ay hindi mali at dapat ituring na terorismo ang aktibismo at bolunterismo. Kaya naman inuudyok ng Bahaghari UPB ang mga kabataang LGBTQIA++ na huwag magpasupil sa ginagawang intimidasyon at supresyon ng estado, sa halip ay mas suportahan pa ang bolunterismo at mga kampanya para sa batayang serbisyo. Hands off Project Namnama!

09/04/2025

Agyamankami UP Baguio University Student Council!

| 4 UP Baguio Student Leaders, face surveillance and red-tagging

From January to March of 2025, the UP Baguio University Student Council through the Nationalist Corps Desk Committee received reports of surveillance from 4 student leaders from the Alliance of Concerned Students - UPB (ACS UPB), League of Filipino Students - Metro Baguio (LFS-MB), Innabuyog Gabriela Youth UPB (IGY-UPB), Bahaghari UPB.

The UPB USC has already formally reported these cases to the University’s Crisis Management Committee.​ On March 26, 2025, the Crisis Management Committee convened, with UPB USC Nationalist Corps Councilor Karlo Ancheta in attendance. During the meeting, the committee affirmed its support for the affected students, offering both legal and psychosocial assistance.

These are the details of the reports:
1. On January 13, 2025, current Basic Student Services Councilor Clyde Aiverson Del Rosario, and a student leader from Alliance of Concerned Students UPB (ACS UPB) received a message on Facebook Messenger from a now-deleted account. The sender falsely accused him of being associated with the New People’s Army (NPA) and explicitly disclosed details about his current residence in Baguio, implying that he is being surveilled. The anonymous account also demanded that Del Rosario provide names of individuals they referred to as “rallyista.

2. On March 03, 2025, former Bahaghari Chairperson Pearl Baybayan and her sister were visited by individuals identifying themselves as elements of the 5th Infantry Division - Philippine Army. The individuals pressured the Baybayan to disclose the names and addresses of members and officers of Project Namnama to which the individual belonged. They were asked to write an affidavit regarding their denouncement of membership and be submitted to the army. The reporting individual, together with other victims, filed a complaint on March 21 at the Regional Office of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in San Fernando City, La Union.

3. On March 12, 2025, Bernardo "Bdog" Constantino, a member of the executive committee of LFS-MB received a message from his parents that an officer from the Philippine National Police (PNP) in their province had contacted them. The officer told them to warn Constantino against joining leftist groups, further reinforcing false and dangerous narratives that progressive organizations such as those under the Makabayan bloc, which the officer mentioned, serve as “legal fronts” for underground organizations. This is blatantly a red-tagging attack against recognized organizations inside the university.

4. On March 15, 2025, Angelene Quinto, a member of the executive committee of IGY-UPB was informed by her mother that she received a message on January 11, 2025, from an unknown account via Facebook Messenger. The account accused Quinto of being a member and recruiter for the New People’s Army (NPA). The sender claimed knowledge of her organizational affiliations, including her leadership roles, and even referenced her dormitory address. This is a clear example of active surveillance against student leaders.

The council is committed to upholding academic freedom and safe spaces inside and outside of the university. Incidents such as these highlight the urgent need to protect students from harassment and uphold their right to organize and free speech without the fear of being tagged as recruiters and terrorists. We continue to demand the University to protect its students from intelligence networks and build the university as safe haven for all.

Up to this date, activists continue to experience impunity under the Marcos administration, as Marcos Jr. has upheld the targeting of activists that began under former president Rodrigo Duterte through his signing of Executive Order No. 70 and the creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in 2018.

In the current socio-political landscape of the country, these blatant attacks to repress student leaders and their legitimate organizations are direct threats to their security. For the longest time, it has been proven that red-tagging endangers the lives of progressive individuals as seen in the cases of other activists in Baguio and the Cordillera region.

The UPB USC vehemently condemns all forms of red-tagging and illegal surveillance. We stand with the student leaders who are victims of political repression.

Hands Off Student Activists!

25/03/2025

Defend community education, protect children's right to learn!

The Children's Rehabilitation Center condemns the recent harassment of Project Namnama, a community education initiative in La Union, by members of the 50th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (50th IBPA). This incident is a blatant attack on the right to education and a direct threat to the future of children in deprived communities.

On March 22, a Project Namnama volunteer reported being visited by individuals claiming to be members of the 50th IBPA. Despite failing to show any identification or explain their purpose, these individuals aggressively questioned the volunteer about their activities and pressured them into signing an affidavit declaring the initiative "inactive." This incident echoes previous instances where members of the 50th IBPA and the Philippine National Police have targeted volunteers, seeking out personal information and attempting to shut down their efforts.

These actions are not isolated incidents. They are part of a disturbing pattern of harassment and intimidation by state forces aimed at suppressing education initiatives in deprived communities. This pattern, which often includes community raids and community hamletting, directly denies children their right to education. The irony is that these same state institutions, while actively restricting access to education, often use "educational" activities like book drives and seminars to improve their public image. This hypocrisy reveals a callous disregard for the real needs of children and their right to learn.

The impact of these attacks on community education initiatives is devastating for the children they serve. These incidents directly impede children's access to crucial educational programs and resources, hindering their development and progress. The constant threat of harassment and intimidation creates a climate of fear, discouraging participation in educational activities and undermining children's sense of safety and security. The suppression of community education initiatives is a blatant violation of children's right to education, a fundamental human right enshrined in international law.

We stand in solidarity with Project Namnama and all community education initiatives facing harassment from state forces. These initiatives play a vital role in addressing the widening education gap, providing access to learning opportunities for children in underserved communities. Instead of wasting public resources on intimidating and threatening grassroots efforts, the state should focus on fulfilling its responsibility to provide quality education to all Filipinos, especially those in remote areas.

We call on all child rights organizations and advocates to denounce this attack on community educators. We urge the government to stop these acts of intimidation and harassment, and to prioritize the right to education for all children.

25/03/2025

“We are alarmed by this invasion of our privacy and safety. This constitutes illegal surveillance and harassment, violating our rights. We are not engaged in any illegal activities; we are simply volunteering to address educational gaps in our communities,” the members said in a collective statement.

“We are alarmed by this invasion of our privacy and safety. This constitutes illegal surveillance and harassment, violating our rights. We are not engaged in any illegal activities; we are simply volunteering to address educational gaps in our communities."

25/03/2025

NEWS | Project Namnama, a volunteer organization focused on addressing educational gaps, reported multiple visits from individuals claiming to be members of the Philippine Army’s 50th Infantry Battalion.

Read the report: https://bit.ly/4hIwARU

25/03/2025

22/03/2025

WE JUST WANT TO HELP THE KIDS!

Earlier today, one of our volunteers reported being visited again by individuals claiming to be members of the 50th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (50th IBPA), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), but did not show any identification or explain their purpose for being there.

On March 3, 17, and 19, they also visited other members of Project Namnama, asking about the whereabouts of other volunteers and whether Project Namnama is still active. They even presented a supposed “roster” of our members, which is private information. One of our members was pressured to sign an affidavit declaring that Project Namnama is “inactive.” Just like today, these individuals did not provide any identification.

There have been previous instances of harassment against our partners and organizations. In 2023, one community member who hosted our library reported that members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) questioned the presence of our library in her home. Later, in February of this year, other community members reported that individuals claiming to be police personnel showed them pictures of our members and inquired about our whereabouts.

We are alarmed by this invasion of our privacy and safety. This constitutes illegal surveillance and harassment, violating our rights. We are not engaged in any illegal activities; we are simply volunteering to address educational gaps in our communities.

We are reaching out to all our friends, supporters, and former and current partners during this attack. Like you, we want to inspire hope and drive change, especially for the future of our nation’s children.

We are already in contact with the Commission on Human Rights and consulting with lawyers for legal advice. We will not be intimidated by illegal harassment and human rights violations. We will continue our advocacy for quality education for all.