Presbyterian missionary targeted by Philippine goverment
On April 11, Cathy Chang, a Presbyterian missionary living in the Philippines, discovered she had been “red-tagged” by the Philippine government after meeting with a progressive political candidate.
According to Human Rights Watch, red-tagging is a decades-long practice in which the Philippine government publicly accuses individuals or organizations of supporting the communist New People’s Army. The Philippine military often harasses, tortures, or kills suspected communists.
Chang, who has lived in the Philippines since 2015, serves with the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, where she works on issues like migration and human trafficking. The UCCP is one of many organizations that has been vocal about the disregard of human rights under Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, who was elected in 2016.
