Badoy-Partosa, SMNI co-host face P2.15-M civil suit over red-tagging
MANILA, Philippines — An activist on Wednesday filed a multimillion-peso civil suit against former Palace official Lorraine Badoy-Partosa and Jeffrey “Ka Eric” Celiz, who claims to be a former New People's Army rebel, for their continued red-tagging of her and of progressive group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN).
BAYAN chairperson emeritus Carol Pagaduan-Araullo has filed a P2.15-million civil damage suit against Badoy and Celiz “because they have incessantly and wantonly engaged in a vilification spree to demonize me and my good name and that of my organization [BAYAN],” she said in a statement.
This includes allegations made through public statements, their personal Facebook accounts and their program on Sonshine Media Network International, a channel owned by controversial preacher Apollo Quiboloy.
“My purpose is to exact accountability for their false, baseless and malicious public statements against me so that they will stop this pernicious practice not only against me and other social activists but for many more who they have categorized as 'enemies of the state' because of their critical or oppositionist stance… to government policies or programs and crimes and abuses committed by persons in authority,” she added.
Human rights organizations, including the UN human rights office and the Commission on Human Rights, have warned that the practice of equating dissent with rebellion and terrorism puts targets at risk of harassment and violence.
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In a media brief sent to reporters, BAYAN said the complaint, filed before the Office of the Prosecutor of Quezon City, is based on Articles 19, 20 and 21 of the Civil Code, which are under the chapter on Human Relations.
A copy of the complaint has not been made publicly available.
Broken down, Pagaduan-Araullo is demanding:
- nominal damages of P1 million for violating her rights
- moral damages of P500,000 for "anguish, sleepless nights, wounded feelings and moral shock"
- P500,000 in exemplary damages for their unceassing, deceitful, oppressive and bad behavior ("walang habas, mapanloko, mapang-api, at masamang ugali")
- at least P150,000 for attorney’s fees
BAYAN and Pagaduan-Araullo are advocates for the decriminalization of libel, prompting them to file a civil suit against Badoy-Partosa and Celiz instead.
RELATED: YouTube purges ‘Son of God’ Quiboloy's channel from platform
String of raps over red-tagging
This is just the latest complaint that has been filed against Badoy-Partosa over her red-tagging.
The former spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict is also facing a string of complaints at the Office of the Ombudsman and has been subjected to a show cause order from the Supreme Court after she linked a Manila judge to communist rebels.
Pagaduan-Araullo, a medical doctor and a social activist for decades, said the continuous accusations that she is a high-ranking official or recruiter of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front has damaged her reputation and brought fear to her life, rights and security.
The red-tagging has also exposed her to made-up legal complaints, like what other activists suffered. She added that her son, journalist Atom Araullo, has also been targeted by baseless accusations.
“I am acutely aware that red-tagging of others has resulted in extrajudicial killings and massacres, enforced disappearance, baseless searches of offices and residences, arbitrary arrest and detention on trumped-up cases including the draconian Anti-Terrorism Law and many other forms of human rights violations,” she said.
She continued that while she may be less vulnerable than those in rural areas or who are lesser-known individuals, “the threats to my security and well-being are no less real.”
“Most important of all, I am filing these complaints in behalf of those who do not have the means, the opportunity and support system to do so but who are experiencing red-tagging/terrorist labelling and the harassment, if not actual terror, this brings,” Pagaduan-Araullo said.
“I hope to encourage more of them to come forward and file their own complaints.”
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