National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy is facing another administrative charge for red-tagging Maginhawa community pantry founder Ana Patricia “Patreng” Non, a space where the community gives and takes basic needs amid the pandemic.
Zena Bernardo, Non’s mother, submitted a complaint-affidavit to the Office of the Ombudsman April 13, asking for Badoy’s preventive suspension until the end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term on June 30 as well as criminal, civil, and administrative liabilities against the red-tagging NTF-ELCAC official.
Bernardo cited in her complaint Badoy’s red-tagging of community pantry organizers “insinuating that they are linked to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and several other absurd allegations.”
In addition, she also sought the Ombudsman to order Badoy and other government officials to “stop, prevent, and correct the commission of red-tagging and similar acts of abuse and impropriety in the performance of duties, whether online and offline.”
NTF-ELCAC uploaded a post by the Facebook group “Peace Philippines” that red-tagged community pantry coordinators. The post maliciously labeled community pantries as communist recruitment tools.
NTF-ELCAC officials like Badoy and Gen. Antonio Parlade red-tagged Non while the young UP alumna received various recognition from different prestigious bodies such as the Quezon City Council.
Bernardo asserted that “Badoy’s acts of red-tagging and disseminating false information and fake news online and offline against community pantries and the organizers thereof constitute disinformation, abuse and misuse of official authority and public resources, and worse, endangerment of the lives and safety of ordinary citizens.”
The complaint lists torture and persecution under Republic Act 9851; malicious disclosure of Non’s sensitive personal information under Republic Act 10173; causing, through evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence, undue injury to me, other organizers and supporters of community pantries in the country, as well as all Filipinos to whom the service of community pantries mean so much, under Republic Act 3019; violation of standards of personal conduct in the discharge and execution of official duties under Republic Act 6713, as the charges Badoy should be held accountable.
Bernardo’s complaint against Badoy is the most recent in the growing list of complaints against the official. A group of health professionals went to the Professional Regulations Commission on Monday, April 11, to request that Badoy’s medical license be revoked.
Earlier, Badoy has been already sued by other sectors that she red-tagged. Last April 7, the Alliance of Health Workers sued Badoy for administrative offenses of grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a public official.
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Last March 23 as well, numerous sectors, including the UP Diliman College of Social Sciences and Philosophy Student Council (CSSP SC), filed a suspension case against Badoy, including therein the case of SINAG red-tagged after releasing critical articles about Anti-Terror Law and the abuses of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
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Since Rodrigo Duterte took office as President in 2016, red-tagging has grown more dangerous. With billions of pesos at its disposal, President Duterte established the National Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in 2018, a machinery for state-sanctioned attacks and censorship on its critics.
Featured image courtesy of Rappler
