Arbues, E. P. B. (2016). Counteracting "red-tagging" vilification practice (Unpublished master's thesis). Public Management Development Program, Development Academy of the Philippines.

Public Management Development Program Middle Managers Class Batch 9 Thesis (MMC)--Development Academy of the Philippines.

Human rights are the innate and indispensable elements necessary in shaping one's essence and dignity. They highlight a person's moral and ethical values fostering respect, recognition, and conformity to established norms and standards. Their existence regulates the interrelation among individual, groups, and organizations and thus, mutually assures them from unreasonable abuse, discrimination, and repression. However, idealistic as it may seem, human rights gaps-such as in the field of political and civil rights-continue to exist due to the emergence of societal challenges or the absence of appropriate enactments. As a result, various transgressions, such as Red-Tagging, are being exploited by some individuals to vilify the rights and liberties of other people. Thus, as Paul Farmer has clearly stated, the opportune moment has arrived for the government, society, and other human rights stakeholders to bridge these gaps and thus, uphold the diverse rights of its citizens. Perceiving these concerns, the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) broadened their constitutional mandate of being the "Protector of the People and the State" by implementing the AFP Transformation Roadmap 2028. This strategic program aims not only to modernize the fighting capabilities of the Armed Forces but also professionalize the ethical and human rights values of its military personnel. For this purpose, the AFP Human Rights Office (AFPHRO)-being the office with primary interest in this human rights competency-was crucially tasked for this undertaking...