SC orders Badoy to answer indirect contempt petition

MANILA, Philippines–The Supreme Court has ordered former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Lorraine Marie Badoy to answer the indirect contempt petition regarding her social media post against a Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge that dismissed the government’s bid to declare as terrorist the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New Peoples Army, as terror organizations.

“Acting on the Urgent Petition for Indirect Contempt, the Court resolved, without giving due course to the petition, to require the respondent to comment thereon within a non-extendible period of 15 days from notice hereof,” read the SC’s en banc resolution.

Petitioners include former Philippine Bar Association (PBA) president Rico Domingo, Ateneo Human Rights Center executive director Ray Paolo Santiago, former Ateneo law dean Antonio “Tony” La Viña and Soledad Deriquito-Mawis of the College of Law of Lyceum University, Anna Maria Abad of Adamson University College of Law and Rodel Taton of the Graduate School of Law of San Sebastian College-Recoletos and several lawyers. They are part of the Movement Against Disinformation of which the human rights group Karapatan is also a convenor.

Petitioners said Badoy’s social media post is a “vicious assault” against Manila RTC Branch 19 Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malagar.

Badoy has accused Magdoza-Malagar of “lawyering” for the CPP-NPA after she ruled that rebellion and political crimes are not acts of terrorism.

The petitioners said Badoy’s propensity to belittle and ridicule the judiciary is “downright contemptuous” and showed that there is nothing that would stop her mockery and condemnation of the justice system until she is held liable by the SC.

Given the gravity and hostility displayed by Badoy, the petitioners asked the High Court to mete her the maximum imprisonment of six months for indirect contempt and a fine in the maximum amount of P30,000.

SC previously issued a show cause order for Badoy to explain why she should not be cited for contempt of the Judiciary.

The SC also warned against those who malign and maliciously attack judges and their families.

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JPV/abc