Lorraine Badoy Photo by INQUIRER.net
Controversial anticommunist propagandist Lorraine Badoy is facing another complaint, this time, in the Commission on Elections for allegedly engaging in partisan politics and for Red-tagging candidates in violation of election laws.
Just two days after charges were lodged before the Ombudsman to suspend Badoy, members of the Makabayan bloc on Friday filed a complaint against Badoy and nine other officials of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) for violating the Omnibus Election Code.
In its complaint, Makabayan said the respondents, as government officials, issued official statements linking lawful political parties under the Makabayan bloc and Vice President Leni Robredo to the Communist Party of the Philippines.
“Respondents, through Badoy, deliberately, willfully and willingly issued and released the statement—which is in the nature of a fake news—not only to campaign against the various candidates mentioned, but to intimidate the general public for them to refrain or desist from participating in campaign rallies of the said targeted candidates or from casting of votes in favor of said candidates.
It added: “To do so, they used equipment and other resources owned by the government.”
The complaint cited two statements issued separately by NTF-Elcac on March 14 and March 22, which Makabayan deemed as a form of electioneering and an unlawful use of “machinery of state media” to propagate fake news, which the group considered a “fraudulent device.”
Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code prohibits the use of public funds or “fraudulent device” for any form of political activity. It also bars public employees or officials from intervening, whether directly or indirectly, in any partisan political activity nor are they allowed to “intimidate” or “threaten” anyone for participating in a campaign.
“The difference between their Red-tagging then and the Red-tagging now is in the context of electioneering. It is obvious that they are using Red-tagging for partisan politics in favor of President Duterte’s candidates and to vilify the opposition,” said Teddy Casiño, vice chair of Bayan Muna.
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