SC warns: Anyone red-tagging, threatening judges may be cited for contempt
MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court on Tuesday warned that those who will red-tag and threaten members of the judiciary and their families may be cited for contempt of court.
The warning is contained in Administrative Matter No. 22-09-16-SC, which also mentioned that the SC en banc motu proprio (on its own) tackled possible actions regarding threats issued by former NTF-ELCAC Spokesperson Lorraine Badoy against Manila Regional Trial Court Presiding Judge Marlo A. Magdoza-Malagar.
Magdoza-Malagar dismissed the government’s petition to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), as a terror organization.
READ: Huge setback for gov’t as court nixes bid to declare CPP-NPA terror org
Badoy, in a Facebook post last Friday, accused Magdoza-Malagar of “lawyering” for the CPP-NPA when she ruled that rebellion and political crimes are not acts of terrorism.
“So if I kill this judge and I do so out of my political belief that all allies of the CPP NPA NDF must be killed because there is no difference in my mind between a member of the CPP NPA NDF and their friends, then please be lenient with me,” Badoy’s post said.
Article continues after this advertisementBadoy later deleted the post on Saturday.
Article continues after this advertisementShe also denied making a hypothetical statement on killing Magdoza-Malagar, calling it “fake news.” She explained that what she had said was that Judge Malagar used the constitution of the CPP-NPA as a basis instead of the 1987 Constitution.
READ: Judge attacked online for junking terror tag on CPP-NPA
“The Court sternly warns those who continue to incite violence through social media and other means which endanger the lives of judges and their families, and that this shall likewise be considered a contempt of this court and will be dealt with accordingly,” the SC said in a briefing issued by its Public Information Office.
Magdoza-Malagar is the second trial court judge that has been red-tagged.
Last year, Mandaluyong RTC Judge Monique Quisumbing-Ignacio was also red-tagged after she dismissed the illegal possession of firearms charges against journalist activists Lady Ann Salem and trade unionist Rodrigo Esparago.
The SC responded to Quisumbing-Ignacio’s red-tagging then by issuing a rare, strongly-worded statement condemning the threats and killings of lawyers and judges.
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