Spokesperson denies threatening Manila judge

MANILA:A former spokesman of an anti-rebel group broke her silence on Thursday and denied making accusations that a Manila judge was “lawyering” for the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).

In her Facebook account, Lorraine Badoy denied that she threatened with harm Manila Regional Court Judge Marlo Magdoza Malagar for her controversial decision.

Badoy also admited that she was no longer a spokesman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) or the office of the President in Malacanang.

“So I hope I am clear here. It is to say who has a track record of murders, massacres, inhumanity, but to blame the CPP-NPA and the NDF.

“I am not unfazed in doing my part of ending this communist curse so that we can formally know what it is like to live in genuine peace and progress as most of our people do,” Badoy said.

Earlier, the Supreme Court threatened to cite for contempt Badoy for Red tagging Malagar and her husband, Chancellor Leo Malagar, of the state owned University of the Philippines in Cebu.

On Wednesday, the University of the Philippines in Diliman, in suburban Quezon City stepped up to defend the Malagar couple.

Up-diliman Chancellor Fidel R. Nemenzo denounced Badoy for her “unconscionable, irresponsible accusations” that the judge and her husband were operatives of the CPP-NPA.

“Her outright Red tagging is not only patently ridiculous, it is also dangerous because it may them targets of hate and violence,” Nemenzo said referring to the Malagar couple.

Red tagging is the baseless designation of persons or group as allies of all supporters of the CPP-NPA. This practice by state and prostate organizations and individuals normally precedes atacks on the persons who are tagged as such.

Many activists community organisers, and human rights defenders who were Red tagged had been assassinated or abducted and disappeared.