Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy (șÚÁÏÉç FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines â The mother of Ana Patricia âPatrengâ Non, who put up the Maginhawa community pantry, has filed a complaint against Lorraine Badoy, the controversial spokesperson of the governmentâs anticommunist task force, for red-tagging her daughter and committing âmental and psychologicalâ torture.
Zena Bernardo, Nonâs mother, filed in the on Wednesday an 18-page complaint â the sixth against Badoy â seeking her suspension from office and asking Ombudsman Samuel Martires to conduct disciplinary proceedings to determine her administrative, civil, and criminal liabilities.
Bernardo, accompanied by lawyer Antonio La Viña, cited posts made and shared by Badoy and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) in April 2021, the month that Non launched the community pantry on Maginhawa Street in Quezon City.
Nonâs idea not only helped people reeling from the economic effects of lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic but also inspired thousands nationwide to replicate her efforts.
âWeapons of communistsâ
The April 19 post on the âPeace Philippinesâ Facebook page alleged that community pantries were âweapons of communists to recruit membersâ without providing basis.
The post was shared by NTF-Elcacâs Facebook page and eight other Facebook pages and profiles which, according to Bernardoâs complaint, âlike Peace Philippines, either have links to the Philippine National Police, or publish posts, comments and memes similar to the NTF-Elcacâs, or both.â
Bernardo likewise cited a press statement made by Badoy that the latter also posted in her Facebook page on April 20, calling the community pantry a âmodus operandiâ of communist groups.
Part of her post went: âOnce in a while, stop using the good hearts of Filipinos to deceive and put them in danger.â
At that time, Badoyâs red-tagging of community pantries was criticized and denounced by civic groups, senators and congressmen, local officials like Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and even Vice President Leni Robredo.
No basis
According to Bernardo, Badoy also said in an interview over SMNI șÚÁÏÉç Channel that Non had âlinksâ to the communist movement.
âThe claims of Badoy-Partosa with regard to Patreng, the Maginhawa Community Pantry, and the community pantry movement in general, have no basis in fact and reality,â Bernardo said in her complaint, referring to the NTF-Elcac spokesperson by her married name. âNowhere in her statement or in her interview did she give any evidence to support her claims, which indicates that she does not have any.â
She added that Badoy, for her red-tagging of Non and the community pantry organizers, committed âmental and psychological torture and persecutionâ under Republic Act No. 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and other Crimes Against Humanity.
Badoy was also charged with committing malicious disclosure of sensitive personal information under the Data Privacy Act, as well as violating the antigraft act, and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
âThis is long overdue,â Bernardo told reporters following the filing of the complaint. â[Badoyâs] acts are really enraging since we have an official in the government using her position to do this.â
RELATED STORIES
Health workers ask PRC to revoke doctorâs license of Badoy
Complaints vs Badoy, 8 other execs filed before Comelec
Groups mount pushback vs Badoy for red-tagging