Amid various points of view on the definition of terrorism that even led to unfounded red-tagging of some individuals, including a regional court judge, Malacañang will not weigh in with arguments concerning it.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said Tuesday, Sep. 27, the the government will just rely on the statement of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla, who said that a case in which a Manila court ruled that the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, New People's Army (NPA), are not terrorists "can be refiled or is to be refiled under the anti-terrorism act."
"So there is no need for a reaction, strictly on the part of the admin, there is no need to react about the decision since there is a different legal regime which is the anti-terrorism act," Cruz-Angeles told reporters.
The Press Secretary made the statement in light of the red-tagging committed by former anti-communism task force spokesperson Lorraine Badoy against Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malagar following her ruling that junked the Department of Justice (DOJ)'s appeal to declare the CPP-NPA as terrorists under Section 17 of the Human Security Act of 2007.
Several organizations of judges, including Hukom and Movement Against Disinformation, broke their silence on the issue and called Badoy's rants, which included an apparent death threat that the latter later denied, as putting judges and others in the legal profession in danger.
Cruz-Angeles did not directly comment on the matter, but she said "this administration will adhere closely to the rule of law and only to the rule of law."
"We do not endorse any illegal activities," she added, "So we let the law takes its course and allow the judiciary to exercise its full mandate."
"The SOJ (Secretary of Justice) will be directing anyway the filing of a proscription case in the Court of Appeals as prescribed by the anti-terrorism act," she also said.