Former anti-communist task force officials Lorraine Badoy and Army Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. INQURIER.net file photos
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Office of the Ombudsman has found former anti-communist task force spokespersons retired Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. and former undersecretary Lorraine Badoy guilty of committing conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service for red-tagging activists and organizations.
In a decision released on Thursday, signed by Ombudsman Samuel Martires last August 9, Parlade and Badoy were reprimanded after the Ombudsman found merit in the complaint of the National Union of People鈥檚 Lawyers (NUPL).
However, according to the Ombudsman, it finds no reason to push grave misconduct charges against the two former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) officials, as red-tagging or red-baiting does not constitute any 鈥渋ntentional wrongdoing or deliberate violation of law or standard behavior.鈥�
Still, the Ombudsman held Parlade and Badoy accountable for conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service because their statements used to criticize the NUPL do not constitute actions that would 鈥渁mount to what a reasonable person would conceive as communist propaganda.鈥�
鈥淭hese matters (NUPL鈥檚 statements) are not communist propaganda as dissent and upholding of individual rights are vital in a vibrant democracy.听 As such, the importance of raising awareness or highlighting these issues to the public cannot gainsaid,鈥� the decision read.
鈥淐onsequently, the aforementioned statements duly [tarnish] the image of NTF-Elcac as it perpetuates the notion that it is being used as a government tool to silence dissent or opposition instead of legitimately pursuing its ultimate goal of lasting peace and ending the armed conflict with the communist rebels,鈥� it added.
Parlade and Badoy have been facing a deluge of cases before the Ombudsman, particularly due to red-tagging or linking individuals to the communist armed movement.
However, the two former officials and other people linked to the NTF-Elcac maintained that they were not听red-tagging, as they were merely talking about the truth.
READ: Badoy: Civil suit over听red听tagging听鈥榳on鈥檛 stop me from speaking the truth鈥�听
People linked to communist rebels included human-rights defenders, lawmakers, health workers, journalists, politicians, and celebrities like actress Angel Locsin and even former vice president Leni Robredo.
READ: Health workers file raps vs Badoy on Ombudsman for alleged听red-tagging听
Last September 11, during the budget deliberations of the Ombudsman, Martires said that a complaint against Parlade had been dropped due to the absence of a law that prohibits red-tagging.
鈥淲ith the huge amount ng cases, I don鈥檛 know the status of each.听听But if the honorable Congressman is referring to those cases against Parlade, Badoy et. al., Esperon, with respect to听red听tagging, those cases were already dismissed due to the reason that there is no law that prohibits听red听tagging. In the absence of a law we cannot arrogate on to ourselves by saying they violated听red-tagging,鈥� he said.