The Council for People’s Development and Governance (CPDG) strongly condemns the latest wave of red-tagging and harassment targeting the dedicated workers of Tarabang Para sa Bicol (TABI), a long-established community-based disaster management organization in the Bicol Region. The recent appearance of malicious posters in various areas in Albay, Sorsogon, and Camarines Sur—singling out Executive Director Aubrey Verzosa, educator and development practitioner Dr. Rose Sambo, and staff member Sherra Buen, who has also been subjected to surveillance near her own home—reflects a disturbing attempt to vilify individuals whose work is rooted in compassion and public service. These attacks not only distort their contributions but also place their safety and well-being at serious risk.
Protecting the rights of development workers and human rights defenders, and ensuring their safety is not only a legal obligation but a moral imperative in a society that claims to uphold dignity and democratic freedoms.
For decades, TABI has been on the frontlines of humanitarian response and community resilience efforts in Bicol. Its teams have supported scores of barangays through disaster preparedness, psychosocial interventions, health missions, sustainable agriculture, and the advancement of agro-ecology. Programs such as Bicol Farmers School (BFS), strengthened through the expertise of Dr. Sambo and the commitment of TABI’s staff, have empowered local farmers and helped build more resilient, self-reliant communities. To reduce this work to false accusations is to undermine essential services that countless family rely on, especially in disaster-prone and economically marginalized areas.
CPDG calls on authorities to take decisive action to stop red-tagging and to hold accountable those who orchestrate or enable these smear campaigns. Development workers, humanitarian responders, and grassroots organizers must be able to carry out their roles without fear, intimidation, or unwarranted political persecution. Protecting their rights and ensuring their safety is not only a legal obligation but a moral imperative in a society that claims to uphold dignity and democratic freedoms. #