ASEAN Regional Coalition to #StopDigitalDictatorship the attacks were linked to the Department of Science the narrative that the University of the Philippines and Technology of the Philippine military. is a “breeding ground” for enemies of the state.60 54 The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-PH) in the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) also confirmed that an internet protocol address associated with cyberattacks against various alternative media outlets was linked to the Department of Science and Technology and the military.55 The DICT stated that the allegations Journalists are among those who often get redtagged publicly on social media. In April 2020, a photo of female journalists conducting a media safety training session from 2013 surfaced on several platforms. The photo’s caption claimed that one of the photographed women, who works with were “unfounded and patently false.”56 ABS-CBN broadcasting network, was involved in The news websites Rappler and ABS-CBN, as well as the Butuan City police posted a photo that named websites Vera Files, GMA News and CNN Philippines, several organisations as communist groups on have all experienced several technical attacks. 57 Facebook, while other law enforcement authorities A hacking group called Pinoy Vendetta claimed in the city of Baguio accused a handful of left-wing responsibility for these attacks, as well as others groups of being terrorists on Twitter.62 Under the conducted on websites of opposition senators, Duterte administration, red-tagging was a common the Philippine Senate and left-leaning groups. A form of harassment and intimidation, and it appears spokesperson of the National Task Force to End to continue under the current president, Ferdinand Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), Marcos Jr. Red-tagging is especially dangerous Lorraine Badoy, praised the hackers for being able for Indigenous activists because, having already to put down websites of the political left. Despite reduced visibility, red-tagging further marginalised this, the NTF-ELCAC and Pinoy Vendetta have both Indigenous peoples by labelling them as terrorists consistently denied collusion. Lorraine Badoy or communists. However, red-tagging can happen has likewise accused Rappler of being “an ally to anyone part of the opposition and, perhaps its and mouthpiece” of the Communist Party of the most dangerous trait is that it often is a precursor for Philippines, New People’s Army and the National violent attacks.63 There was hope for improvement Democratic Front of the Philippines, in addition to in 2022 when the now ex-National Security Advisor, stating that Facebook’s fact-checkers are “liars and Clarita Carlos, declared she would want to stop this unethical journalists” like Maria Ressa and Rappler. oppressive tactic.64 That quickly changed only seven 58 local communist groups.61 In a different incident, 59 Red-Tagging of Activists and Critics In addition to lawsuits and cyberattacks, individuals in the country are targeted by state agencies through the creation of false narratives online. In January 2021, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) listed through a Facebook post several names of University of the Philippines alumni, claiming that they were joiners of the New People’s Army and had been killed or captured. The AFP has since taken months into her role, when, in her own words, was forced out by other “forces.”65 She was replaced by retired general Eduardo Año, who did not address the red-tagging issue so far. This is even more concerning because he is allegedly involved in the abduction of activist Jonas Burgos in April 2007 who has officially been ruled as an enforced disappearance authored by the military, and was also chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of Philippines during Duterte’s authoritarian regime.66 down the post, but it has been circulated around by other Facebook pages. In a statement, the NUJP underscored that the AFP was motivated to push 226 Dawn of Digital Dictatorship: Weaponizing the Law Against Online Speech in Southeast Asia