Members of the Makabayan coalition have filed criminal complaints against National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Lorraine Badoy and other NTF-ELCAC officials before the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) Law department.
The complaint was filed on Friday, March 25 by Makabayan nominees Rep. Sarah Elago; Rep. Arlene Brosas; Rep. France Castro; Robert De Castro; Saturnino Ocampo; Teodoro Casino; and Ariel Casilao.
Their complaint alleged that Badoy and other NTF-Elcac execs had committed election violations against Omnibus Election Code section 261, specificlly 261-e (Threats, intimidation, terrorism, use of fraudulent device or other forms of coercion); 261-i (the intervention of public officers and employees); and 261-o (Use of public funds, money deposited in trust, equipment, facilities owned or controlled by the government for an election campaign) was filed against the following public officials and NTF-Elcac execs.
-Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Usec. Badoy
-Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Usec. Marlo Iringan
-Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Usec. Maximo Carvajal
-Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) USec. Nonita Caguioa
-Department of National Defense (DND) Usec. Cesar Yano
-DND Usec. Reynaldo Mapagu
-Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Usec. Brigido Dulay
-Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Deputy Director General Gabriel Quisumbing
-National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Director-General Alex Monteagudo
-Assistant Solicitor General Angelita Miranda
To back their complaint, Makabayan cited two statements by the NTF-ELCAC which explicitly red-tagged Vice President Leni Robredo, her camp, and several parties under the Makabayan coalition.
Red-tagging is the act of accusing individuals and groups of communist and terrorist affiliation, often the CPP-NPA-NDF. It is done to incite physical harm and harassment against activists, opposition politicians, lawyers, voters, and even journalists.
First, a March 14 statement signed by Badoy which falsely accused Vice President Robredo’s camp of entering an alliance with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
Second, a March 21 statement signed by Badoy which outright claimed that Kabataan, Anakpawis, Bayan Muna, Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), and Gabriela party-lists were CPP-NPA-NDF groups.
Because of Badoy’s propensity for red-tagging, education workers recently filed complaints against her through the Office of the Ombudsman.