A social media account under the name Aram dela Cruz on May 13 shared photographs of Paraan, a former NUJP national chair and head of citizen journalism arm of the ABS-CBN broadcasting network which was forced off the air earlier this month. The photos depicted Paraan at a training organised by NUJP, where Paraan was the lead trainer, conducting a simulation on administering first aid to an injured person. The photos were originally published on MindaNews in 2013 during an all-women media safety training held in Cagayan de Oro City on March 16-17.

The red-tagged photographs were edited and captioned: “Ano ang tunay na ugnayan ni Rowena Paraan (NUJP, Head ng Bayan Mo Ipatrol Mo, ng ABS-CBN” at ng CPP-NPA-NDF. Alam ba ito ng ABS-CBN?” (What is the real connection between Paraan and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front. Does ABS-CBN know this?)”

NUJP said “It is utterly shameless but dangerous that a historic media safety training aimed at protecting and ensuring the safety of media workers is being used to malign, threaten and put journalists and the NUJP in danger.”

The IFJ said: “The unrelenting harassment and red-tagging of journalists since the ABS-CBN shutdown is both shocking and reflective of the importance of journalists’ safety. The IFJ condemns the red-tagging and urge the public to respect the rights of journalists’ to be safe and speak out as media workers and unionists.”