Atom Araullo wins red-tagging civil suit vs Badoy, Celiz

PUSHBACK Broadcast journalist Atom Araullo shows reporters a copy of his complaint for civil damages against Lorraine Marie Badoy and Jeffrey Celiz for Red-tagging him and his family.  —LYN RILLON

MANILA, Philippines — Broadcast journalist Atom Araullo won in the civil suit he filed against former anti-insurgency task force spokesperson Lorraine Badoy and confessed ex-communist rebel Jeffrey Celiz after being red-tagged as a member of the communist movement.

“Red-tagging is, by itself, a manifestation of bad faith. By engaging in red-tagging, the defendants acted grossly and recklessly without regard for truth,” Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 306 Presiding Judge Dolly Rose Bolante-Prado said in a 27-page order dated Dec. 12, 2024.

READ: Atom Araullo sues Badoy, Celiz for P2M over red tagging

The court ordered Badoy and Celiz to jointly and severally pay a total of P2.07 million for violating several provisions of the Civil Code.

READ: Pushback against Red-tagging 

The award for damages was based on Articles 19, 20, 21, 26, and 33 of the New Civil Code, which protects an individual’s rights, human relations, and dignity, and a violation could lead to serious damage and injury to a person’s reputation, peace of mind, and personal relations.

Araullo complained about defamatory statements by Badoy and Celiz against him and his family on national television and social media platforms.

“I am doing this for the safety and well-being of my family, but I also hope it contributes a modest way to protecting press freedom in general,” Araullo said when he filed the complaint.

The broadcaster and his mother, Carol P. Araullo, chair emeritus of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), have been the subject of a red-tagging spree by Badoy and Celiz since 2022 in their show Laban Kasama ng Bayan over Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI).

Araullo was branded as a “spawn” of an active CPP central committee leader. He was also accused as an orchestrator of attacks against the government by stating that the documentaries/content he produced were aligned with the propaganda of the CPP-NPA.

The court said engaging in red-tagging is a deliberate act to discredit and inflict harm on the broadcaster.

“Their remarks were aimed at damaging the plaintiff’s reputation and credibility, both as a person and as a journalist, by associating him with the CPP-NPA-NDF without proof,” the court said.

It added, “These labels and remarks went beyond mere editorial opinion or fair commentary and, worse, incited backlash, threats, and public hatred toward the plaintiff.”

While it is true that Araullo is a public figure, being a journalist and TV personality, the court said he is still protected by Article 26 by pointing out that his image and reputation are essential to his career.

“Defendants’ wrongful actions have caused damage and injury to his dignity, personality, privacy, and peace of mind,” the court said.

Regarding defamation, under Article 33 of the New Civil Code, specifically on malice, the court said Araullo should not be burdened with the duty of proving malice when in the first place, Badoy and Celiz did not present evidence to prove their claims.

Meanwhile, Celiz made a statement that called the court’s decision a “miscarriage of justice.”

He said the court held them in default due to the one-day delay in submitting their pre-trial brief.

“The regional trial court proceeded to have the hearings on this particular civil case without us being given the chance to present our evidence, our testimonies, and witnesses,” he said.

Celiz said this is just a temporary setback, and they will file an appeal against the court’s decision.