A February 25 photo showing Jeffrey Celiz at the Manila airport on his way to a “series of international gatherings. (FB photo)
Jeffrey Celiz, a vlogger and the third nominee of the Epanaw Sambayanan Party, is facing troubles in North America. Various rights groups have urged the Canadian government to expel him from the country.
The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) in Canada, along with Migrante-Canada and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Canada, has requested authorities to declare Celiz “inadmissible to Canada” due to his red-tagging and other human rights violations.
In a letter dated February 25, the groups highlighted that Celiz was recently ordered to pay PHP 2 million in damages for his red-tagging statements against journalist Atom Araullo.
The letter was addressed to the Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Minister of Public Safety, Immigration Critic, the Office of Citizenship Fraud Tips, and a member of Parliament.
“Celiz has a documented history of red-tagging, of publicly labeling individuals and organizations, as affiliated with communist insurgencies, thus, putting activists, human rights defenders, and even journalists at grave risk,” the urgent appeal for action reads.
The letter stated that Celiz’s activities in Canada threaten the safety of individuals who sought refuge there from persecution in the Philippines and of Filipino Canadians critical of the Philippine government’s human rights record and policies.
“His presence and actions endanger individuals, including protected persons and convention refugees, who have sought safety in Canada after being persecuted due to red-tagging,” they said.
“This ongoing threat requires urgent action to prevent Celiz from using Canada as a platform to continue his attacks on progressive organizations and individuals. We have verified through social media and other sources that Celiz is actively organizing in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario,” they added.
The groups claimed that Celiz is in Canada to spread his harmful propaganda to North America. They also provided photographs and reports confirming Celiz’s presence in Canada and cited Canadian laws against security threats, human rights violators, and individuals convicted of criminal activities.
ICHRP called on the Canadian government to:
- Declare Celiz inadmissible to Canada
- Investigate and monitor his activities in Canada
- Revoke his visa, residency, or citizenship if applicable
- Prevent his entry into Canada if he is already outside of the country
- Provide protection for victims and activists in Canada
ICHRP added that allowing individuals like Celiz to operate within Canada’s borders contradicts the country’s principles and endangers vulnerable communities. (ZIA LUNA)
