Lawmakers seek stiffer penalties against red-taggers

Former Presidential Communications Operations Office undersecretary Lorraine Badoy. (File photo from INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — A House lawmaker has sought a definite system to reprimand red-taggers.

This action comes, after former Presidential Communications Operations Office undersecretary Lorraine Badoy was cited for indirect contempt by the Supreme Court (SC) for linking a Manila judge to communist rebels.

Kabataan party-list Representative Raoul Manuel believes red-tagging should be penalized because it causes harm to people who may be innocent, but are linked to communist movements.

“The lesson we can learn from the decision of the court is first, red-tagging really endangers the people,” Manuel said in a press briefing at the House of Representatives.

“If we read the full text of the decision, red-tagging is harmful and incites violence. Red-tagging is illogical, and red-tagging kills,” he warned.

“Red-taggers should be held accountable because they cause danger to the public through the rhetoric they espouse,” the lawmaker noted.

“Even the former vice president, VP Leni, and now, even the House Speaker – Speaker Romualdez – was red-tagged by Jeffrey Celiz,” he recalled.

Celiz is a self-proclaimed former rebel who used to host ‘Laban Kasama ang Bayan’ program on Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI).

For her part, ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro noted the SC decision on Badoy shows that red-tagging cannot be misconstrued as part of free speech.

“As it is the decision supports our position that red taggers like Badoy cannot hide behind freedom of speech,” Castro said.

At the same time, Castro believes a more harsh penalty should have been imposed on Badoy.

“Red-tagging poses a significant threat to the safety and well-being of individuals who are unjustly labeled as enemies of the state,” she said.

“It undermines the principles of due process, freedom of expression, and the rule of law,” the legislator added.

SC found Badoy guilty of indirect contempt for red-tagging Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malagar.

The judge had dismissed government’s petition to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, as terrorist organizations.

Badoy was ordered to pay a fine of P30,000.

She was also warned against repeating the same acts in the future.

– With reports from intern Barbara Gutierrez