Progressives file complaint vs Badoy, NTF-ELCAC execs over alleged red-tagging

Several members of the Makabayan bloc on Friday filed a criminal complaint against officials of National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and its spokesperson Undersecretary Lorraine Marie Badoy for allegedly red-tagging Vice President Leni Robredo.

In a tweet, former Bayan Muna party-list Representative Teodoro “Teddy” Casiño shared that they lodged a complaint against Badoy and other NTF-ELCAC officials for electioneering and other violations of the Omnibus Election Code.

Among the complainants were Kabataan Party-list Representative Sarah Jane Elago, Gabriela party-list Representative Arlene Brosas, ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro, Robert De Castro, Saturnino Ocampo, Teodoro Casiño, and Ariel Casilao.

The complainants said Badoy and other officials violated the Omnibus Election Code sections 261 (e), 261 (i), and 261 (o).

“For the last four years, Badoy and the NTF-ELCAC have been spewing lies and fake news to discredit us and other members of the Opposition, now including VP Leni. For four years we dared them to file charges against us but they never did. Puro paninira lang,” Casiño said.

“Whatever trumped up charges they have filed against our leaders and members have been consistently dismissed by the courts. Now it is our turn to make them accountable for their crimes,” he added.

The NTF-ELCAC earlier cited the supposed endorsement of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Joma Sison for Robredo’s presidential bid.

“VP Leni Robredo’s camp should stop insulting the intelligence of the Filipino people by pretending they have not made a pact with the devil, the communist terrorist CPP NPA NDF,” Badoy said.

According to the complainants, the officials violated Section 261(i) of the Omnibus Election Code: “intervention of public officers and employees, any officer or employee in the civil service, who directly or indirectly intervenes in any election campaign or engages in any partisan political activity, except to vote or to preserve public order, if he is a peace officer.”

“The act of respondents—all officers or employees in the civil service—of issuing the subject statement that constitutes as 'political advertisement' or 'election propaganda' is an election offense under Section 261(i) of the Omnibus Election Code,” they stated.

They also pointed out that the officials violated Section 261(e) of the Omnibus Election Code: “threats, intimidation, terrorism, [and] use of a fraudulent device or other forms of coercion.”

“Nowhere in the posts did Badoy or her agencies state or quote the source of the ‘official endorsement’ by the CPP of Vice President Robredo or the proof that it is ‘behind the Makabayan Bloc,’ the complainants said.

“The records of the Honorable Commission itself, which has duly recognized our Coalition, Party-Lists, and nominations as well as the Vice President’s candidacy, belie such atrocious claim. Therefore, the basis of the red-tagging, if not the entire post, is a fraudulent device commonly known as fake news,” they added.

In addition, they said that the release of a statement on its social media and dissemination to media outfits indicated that the officials made use of public equipment and other resources owned by the government.

GMA News Online sought comment from Badoy and the NTF-ELCAC but they have yet to reply as of posting time.

Aside from Badoy, complaints were also filed against Interior Undersecretary Marlo Iringan, Assistant Solicitor General Angelita Miranda, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director-General Alex Monteagudo, TESDA Deputy Director-General Gabriel Luis Quisumbing, Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Maximo Carvajal, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Assistant Secretary Nonita Caguioa, Department of National Defense (DND) Undersecretary Cesar Yano, DND Undersecretary Reynaldo Mapagu, and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido Dulay.

The NTF-ELCAC earlier cited the supposed endorsement of CPP founder Joma Sison for Robredo’s presidential bid.

“VP Leni Robredo’s camp should stop insulting the intelligence of the Filipino people by pretending they have not made a pact with the devil, the communist terrorist CPP NPA NDF,” Badoy said.

Robredo, on the other hand, said efforts linking her and her supporters to communists will only make her presidential campaign stronger.

On Wednesday, activists and youth organizations filed with the Office of the Ombudsman their complaints against Badoy for allegedly red-tagging Robredo and other groups.

They accused Badoy of engaging in partisan political activity, which is prohibited under the Omnibus Election Code and the Administrative Code of 1987, after she linked Robredo to the communist rebels in a March 14 statement. — DVM, GMA News