NTF-Elcac spokesperson Lorraine Badoy Photo by INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — There is no danger to life when a person is tagged as a communist, National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) spokesperson Undersecretary Lorraine Marie Badoy said on Thursday.
Badoy disagreed with Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, who earlier said that tagging an individual as a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA) or the National Democratic Front (NDF) is dangerous.
“We, however, do not agree with the Secretary Guevarra when he says that the NTF ELCAC endangers our people when we do our sacred duty of identifying members of the CPP-NPA-NDF,” Badoy said in a statement.
“We also find it unfortunate that no less than a Justice Secretary seems ignorant that our Supreme Court has ruled, in Zarate vs Aquino, that there is no danger to life, liberty and security when you are identified as a member of the CPP-NPA-NDF,” she went on.
Although, Badoy agreed with Guevarra that people should not be identified as a member of “CPP NPA NDF if we do not have solid proof that they are.”
She also claimed that red-tagging does not exist and is being “weaponized” by communists.
“That ‘red-tagging’ does not exist and is a tool used by the CPP NPA NDF to silence those who yank their masks off and speak the truth about them because those masks are their lifeblood that enable them to recruit, raise funds, and weaken government with their toxic propaganda,” the spokesperson said.
Badoy reiterated that progressive groups such as Kabataan, Alliance of Concerned Teachers, and Gabriela are communist fronts and are “top recruiters” of the youth “into violent extremism, protectors and purveyors of terrorism.”
NTF-Elcac will continue with its mandate until the “complete destruction” of CPP-NPA-NDF, Badoy assured.