Former Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino, now spokesman of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, physically attends the hybrid hearing of the Committee on National Defense, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation on the issue of red-tagging/red-baiting of certain celebrities, personalities, institutions, and organizations, in this file photo taken on November 24, 2020. Senate PRIB file photo
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Former Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casi帽o on Monday filed a P2-million civil suit against former anti-insurgency task force spokesperson Lorraine Badoy and confessed ex-communist rebel Jeffrey Celiz for consistently red-tagging him.
鈥淭his legal action is long overdue. Since 2020, these two characters, aided and abetted by the NTF-Elcac (National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict), have been falsely, maliciously, and repeatedly accusing me of being involved in terrorism, rebellion, and other crimes as a supposed high-ranking official of the CPP-NPA-NDFP,鈥� Casi帽o said.
He is the current chair of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), a multisectoral alliance of people鈥檚 organizations for reforms.
He said: 鈥淭hey have been consistently spewing lies, aspersions, inciting ridicule and hate against me, my family, my fellow activists, and our legitimate political beliefs and activities.鈥�
Casi帽o said since 2020, Badoy already called him a 鈥渃ommunist terrorist鈥� in her Manila Times column.
鈥淟orraine calls me a communist terrorist even if I am not involved in the armed struggle, don鈥檛 espouse the violent overthrow of the state, nor incite or recruit people to do so,鈥� he said.
He said, the red tagging continued when 鈥淟aban Para sa Bayan,鈥� an SMNI television program started on July 19, 2021, where even his stay at his home province was branded as a 鈥渃overt act鈥� of the CPP-NPA.
鈥淎s a leftist activist, I have been called many things by my detractors. But to be falsely and repeatedly accused of being a high-ranking official of an organization arbitrarily designated by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) as a terrorist organization, and accused of orchestrating the death of thousands and the destruction of the country, is just too much,鈥� Casi帽o said.
Due to the accusations of the two, Casi帽o said he was exposed to persecution and risk of prosecution for crimes he did not commit.
He pointed out that the right to free speech and expression, as with other rights has reasonable boundaries.
鈥淏y crossing the line,鈥� Casi帽o said Badoy and Celiz 鈥渉ave repeatedly committed abuses in the exercise of their right鈥hereby causing injury and damages鈥� to him.
Casi帽o asked the Makati court to issue a cease and desist order from red tagging him and order to pay damages for the following: moral damages of P1,100,000; exemplary damages of P500,000; nominal damages of P500,000; attorney鈥檚 fees of not less than P100,000; and costs of the suit.
This is not the first time that a civil suit was filed against the two.
On July 20, broadcast journalist Atom Araullo also filed a civil suit against the two. His mother, Bayan chair emeritus Dr. Carol Araullo also filed a separate civil suit against Badoy and Celiz.
READ: Atom Araullo sues Badoy, Celiz for P2M over red tagging
Sought for comment, Celiz branded the case as 鈥減ure harassment.鈥�
鈥淗indi ako natatakot na harapin ang kanyang civil and damages case鈥his is purely harassment and pananakot for me and Dr. Lorraine Badoy,鈥� Celiz told reporters.
(I am not afraid to face his civil and damages case. This is purely harassment and intimidation for me and Dr. Lorraine Badoy).