Former NTF-ELCAC spox Badoy eyes House seat for 2025 poll

Lorraine Badoy —File photo from the House of Representatives

MANILA, Philippines — Former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Lorraine Badoy is eyeing for a seat as the 2nd nominee of Epanaw Sambayanan party-list.

According to Badoy, the advocacy of the party-list is to protect the rights and welfare of the indigenous peoples.

“This is part of our advocacy, to protect our brothers and sisters from the exploitation, from being targeted by the CPP-NPA-NDF and to hopefully be part of the government that cares for them because we have the experience from our short stint in government the transformative role of good governance,” Badoy said in a speech after filing the party-list’s certificate of nomination and acceptance.

READ: Badoy says red-tagging not dangerous but 427 slain activists show otherwise

Badoy, a known supporter of the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte, had previously red-tagged progressive individuals.

In February, the Supreme Court (SC) found Badoy guilty of red-tagging Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malagar.

READ: Red-tagging a threat to life and liberty – SC

The SC recently ruled that red-tagging or red-baiting is a threat to one’s life and security. The SC also said that red-tagging could warrant the issuance of writ of amparo to protect the victim’s rights from their aggressors.

Meanwhile, Bayan Muna on Sunday slammed Badoy’s bid as the party-list’s second nominee, emphasizing concern on her potential entry to the House of Representatives.

“But she herself bastardized the struggle of indigenous people during her stint at the NTF-ELCAC, where she gained notoriety for red-tagging activists and Lumad people during the Duterte administration,” said former Bayan Muna representative Eufemia Cullamat.

“Even now, she continues with her red-tagging ways, and it will only worsen if she gets to Congress,” Cullamat added.