On March 4, 2024, around 9 AM, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) NCR coordinator Paco Perez received a text message asking for his voluntary surrender as the National Capital Region Police Office would release his warrant of arrest.
Perez wondered how his cellphone number was identified.
Bayan NCR decried the threat against Paco.
“From red-tagging to surrender, this style of intimidation and intimidation of activists and critics is nothing new. This is a result of the Anti Terror Law that was signed by the executioner president Rodrigo Duterte and continues until now during the term of Marcos Jr.” BAYAN-NCR said in their Facebook post.
Meanwhile, Anakbayan National Chairperson Jeann Miranda and Anakbayan Cebu Chairperson Kei Galon received threats from a Facebook user named Weak Red.
The two youth activists received similar (copy-paste) messages from the same sender:
“Ipaparamdam ko din sayo kung gaano kasakit mawalan ng mahal sa buhay”
[I will make you feel how painful it is to lose a loved one]
“Iisa isahin ko kayo buong pamilya mo gago ka”
[I will eliminate your family one by one, stupid]
“Makikita tlga hinahanap mo salot ka sa lipunan. Dapat sayo hnde pnapatagal. Wla kang karapatan mabuhay sa Mundo. Kya humanda ka.”
[You will get what you are looking for, you scourge of society. You should not be allowed to live long. You don’t have a right to live on Earth. So be ready.]
“Para sa amin, walang ibang nasa likod nito kundi ang estado, na ginagamit ang kanilang network ng mga trolls para sapawan at patahimikin ang mga kabataan. Matagal nang biktima ng panunupil ang dalawa sa porma ng state harassment at surveillance,” Anakbayan National said in their post.
[For us, no one else is behind this but the state, which uses its network of trolls to silence the youth. The two have long been victims of repression in the form of state harassment and surveillance.]
Human rights group Karapatan National Capital Region (NCR) said the recent spate of threats against activists might be in connection with the upcoming traditional, annual big protest for International Women’s Day on March 8.
The group noted how activist or their groups experience online and offline threats when a protest is approaching.
They also noted how various government agencies require the attendance of 4Ps beneficiaries in meetings or organize distribution of cash aid or goods or the poor on the same day of big protests.
“These dole outs ‘coincidentally’ given on the day of protests or that they are really meant to discourage or keep people especially the poor from joining protests may last a day or two. However, the government should give more than that, they should ensure that the people have jobs, living wages, all the basic services, and that’s maybe how they can truly keep people from joining protests. Also, the government should respect and protect its citizens’ freedom of association and expression and let them assemble and be heard,” said Karapatan NCR in an interview.
 said the recent spate of threats against activists might be in connection with the upcoming traditional, annual big protest for International Women’s Day on March 8.){kind=link}