Two Panay-based youth leaders and former University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) University Student Council chairpersons have been subjected to red-tagging and surveillance after alleged military intelligence agents reportedly targeted them and their family members, according to statements from Kabataan Partylist Panay and the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) – Panay.
In separate statements, the groups condemned the alleged surveillance, profiling, and indirect coercion carried out by supposed military intelligence agents against siblings Thea Kryshna Dayata and Audrey Eurielle Dayata.
Thea Dayata serves as the Regional Chairperson of Kabataan Partylist Panay, while Audrey Dayata is the Secretary-General of NUPL-Panay Law Students Chapter and a student at the University of the Philippines College of Law.
According to the statements, the incident occurred on June 22, when family members of the Dayata siblings were approached by alleged intelligence agents of the Philippine Army carrying personal information about the two, including photographs, educational background, and organizational affiliations.
The incident comes just days after UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan urged the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), describing red-tagging as a gateway to harassment, criminalization, and violence.
The agents reportedly accused the sisters of being part of organizations under the so-called “umbrella” of the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army–National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and urged the family to convince them to cease their involvement in youth and legal organizations.
Both Kabataan Partylist Panay and NUPL-Panay denounced the incident as a clear case of red-tagging, which they say poses a grave threat to the safety and security of youth leaders and activists.
“This is a textbook case of red-tagging—a baseless and dangerous tactic that endangers the lives of those exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights,” the NUPL-Panay statement read, emphasizing that student activism and youth organizing are not crimes.
The situation becomes more alarming in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling last May 2024, which declared that red-tagging poses a threat to a person’s life, freedom, and security. But despite this, critics say the state continues to justify red-tagging, especially against progressive groups, using laws like the Anti-Terrorism Law, which marks its fifth year today.
The UPV USC likewise condemned the incident, calling it part of a broader pattern of intensified attacks against youth leaders and democratic organizations under the Marcos-Duterte administration.
“To serve the people is not rebellion. The ongoing surveillance and red-tagging of the Dayata sisters are direct violations of their constitutional rights,” the 45th UPV USC declared in its official statement.
In a Facebook post, Thea Dayata stressed that these attacks are not isolated, but part of a broader campaign to silence those who dare to challenge the status quo.
“Though the attacks are relentless, this is no time for the youth to cower in fear and intimidation,” she said. “These are systemic ploys targeting hundreds of fellow youth leaders and activists all over the country, all over the world. Because there are people like us who dare to challenge the domineering system, we dare to fight for justice and equality for the millions of disenfranchised Filipinos under a corrupt state that only seeks to silence us to preserve their power.”
The groups also expressed alarm over the military’s growing presence in educational spaces, following the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division announcement last June 26 of heightened surveillance operations in schools across Western Visayas, citing alleged communist recruitment activities.
Kabataan Partylist Panay warned that such operations risk further intimidation of students and undermine academic freedom. “Educational institutions are not spaces for harassment and fear,” the group said, urging students and communities to resist the militarization of campuses.
The groups are demanding an impartial investigation into the incident, accountability for the military personnel involved, and protective measures for the Dayata sisters and other youth leaders. They also renewed calls for the abolition of NTF-ELCAC.
Phil Liam Nono is a sophomore statistics student under the Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics. He joined Pagbutlak as a news staffer during his freshman year and now serves as its 50th Editor-in-Chief.
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