There is a bill pending in the Senate that criminalizes red-tagging activities. However, someone is opposing it.
National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Lorraine Badoy expressed her “worry” and that this bill may be “very dangerous” to the country.
Moreover, Badoy said that this bill may be used to “silence” those who want to reveal the legal fronts of the communist rebels.
“It’s really worrisome that our senators, senators themselves are using a word (red-tagging) that our Supreme Court, the highest court of the land, has already said doesn’t exist. There is no such thing,” Badoy said.
“This is a weapon used by the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front) to silence those who blow the cover of their legal fronts,” she added.
The bill, which is Senate Bill 2121 or the “Act Defining and Penalizing Red-Tagging” is aimed to condemn the alleged red-tagging of Senate workers’ union by Director-General Alex Monteagudo of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA). This Thursday, April 8, the minority senators have proposed that the bill be passed, which Badoy then opposed.
While the NTF-ELCAC spokesperson is stopping the passage of the bill, Netizens over Twitter gave their reaction regarding Badoy’s efforts to prevent the bill from becoming law.
Twitter personality Charot! roasted Badoy as she expressed her worry. The Netizen even dubbed her as a “red-tagger.”
Worried ang red tagger. Charot! https://t.co/JnvKQkrBzO
— Charot! (@IamCharotism) April 7, 2021
Another twitter personality, SyLicoNgaAko, also criticized how worried Badoy was during the Senate hearing.
He wrote, “Nag-aalala ang berdugo?”
Nag-aalala ang berdugo? https://t.co/8qkCZ90Z5Y pic.twitter.com/76LcssL4wX
— #SyLicoNgaAko (@SyLicoNgaAko) April 7, 2021
Twitter personality TRAIN WRECK blasted Badoy by comparing how the red-tagging victims became targeted by state forces to red-tagging government officials.
The Netizen then criticized the spokesperson, even calling her “useless.”
https://twitter.com/_QuePasaChica_/status/1379814833281982469
Last 2020, Badoy was involved in an issue between her and the news outlet CNN Philippines. The USec red-tagged CNN for allegedly supporting a communist group.
With Badoy being known for her tactic, twitter personality Jedu Ligan stressed that Badoy is the only one being worried since she is the “queen of red-tagging”.
https://twitter.com/JeduthunJake/status/1379825688769794050
Youth Strike 4 Climate Philippines lambasted Badoy as she pointed out that red-tagging does not exist. However, Badoy red-tagged numerous government employees, artists, and activists last year.
https://twitter.com/youth4climatePH/status/1380084646113804291
And now that Badoy is being worried about the bill becoming a law, a Netizen pointed out that the Undersecretary may have realized how people feel–when being red-tagged.
https://twitter.com/BIENsays/status/1379803756355747845
After Badoy got worried about criminalizing red-tagging, which she was known to have done on numerous occasions, a Netizen even said, “How the tables have turned?”
https://twitter.com/IndayAnne1/status/1379837660559142913
Meanwhile, radio and television host Therese “Gang” Badoy-Capati expressed her concern about how the Senate has to come up with this kind of bill.
According to Capati, Senate Bill 2121–is the result of reckless red-tagging, which restricts the democracy that Filipinos enjoy.
https://twitter.com/gangbadoy/status/1379832481185030147
NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Lorraine Badoy and spokesman Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. have relentlessly red-tagged several organizations, lawmakers, and even celebrities as affiliates of communist rebels. With Senate Bill 2121 having a greater possibility of becoming a law, red-taggers such as Badoy and Parlade will have to think twice before tagging someone as communists.
