Health workers file raps vs Badoy on Ombudsman for alleged red-tagging

FILE PHOTO: NTF-Elcac spokesperson Lorraine Marie Badoy. INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—A health worker union on Thursday filed before the Office of the Ombudsman administrative and criminal charges against anti-communist task force spokesperson Lorraine Badoy for linking the group to the communist armed movement.

The Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) and a number of its union leaders trooped to the Ombudsman, urging the government body to issue sanctions against the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) spokesperson,  which includes immediate preventive suspension, dismissal from the service, cancellation of civil service eligibility and permanently disqualification to enter any government service.

In 2021, Badoy alleged that the AHW was one of the organizations created by the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People’s Army, and the National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) to “infiltrate” the government.

“Badoy maliciously implicated AHW as a creation of the CPP-NPA-NDF with the aim of infiltrating the government,” the union’s national president Robert Mendoza said in a statement.

“We vehemently condemn these dangerous allegations as they are all false and lies. Badoy insulted and demeaned our dignity as leaders and damaged the good reputation of our organization. As we fight the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been at the forefront inconsistently and wholeheartedly serving the Filipino people as we also fight for our safety, protection, and welfare,” Mendoza continued.

It can be recalled that a number of progressive organizations also lodged complaints against Badoy last  March for linking vice president Leni Robredo to the CPP-NPA-NDF.

Makabayan bloc members also filed before the Commission on Elections election related violation against Badoy after the NTF-Elcac, through Badoy, linked party-list groups and presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo to the communist movement.

Badoy previously said she was unfazed by the complaints lodged against her.

JPV