📷Former Bayan Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat
In a strong statement, former Bayan Muna Congresswoman Eufemia Cullamat criticized Lorraine Badoy for running as the second nominee of a purported indigenous people’s group, citing Badoy’s notorious history of red-tagging activists and Lumad people during her tenure at the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
“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,” Cullamat asserted.
Cullamat, a prominent Lumad leader, expressed grave concerns over the implications of Badoy’s potential entry into Congress. “Even now, she continues with her red-tagging ways, and it will only worsen if she gets to Congress.
“Just like the Duterte Youth and other diehard Duterte supporters PLs, these people – who are also defenders of accused rapist and child molester Quiboloy, will just defend and justify the Duterte administration’s horrendous record of human rights violations, high corruption, EJKs and POGO proliferation,”she added.
“Badoy was already reprimanded by the Supreme Court for red-tagging and even issued a full decision against the dangers of red-tagging,” Cullamat said.
The Supreme Court of the Philippines recently underscored the dangers of red-tagging by granting a writ of amparo to Siegfred Deduro, a former lawmaker from the Bayan Muna Partylist, after he was wrongfully associated with the communist insurgency. The landmark 39-page decision emphasized that red-tagging and guilt by association threaten fundamental rights to life, liberty, and security.
Key highlights from the decision included the statement: “Petitioner should not be expected to await his own abduction, or worse, death… before the courts can give due course to his petition.” The Court recognized that red-tagging often precedes abductions or extrajudicial killings (EJK), posing severe threats to individuals labeled as communists or sympathizers.
The decision, penned by Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda, highlighted the transition of red-tagging to social media, where it fuels online harassment and threats, including those against women activists.
Cullamat called on the public and fellow advocates to remain vigilant against such dangerous narratives that threaten the safety and rights of indigenous peoples and activists alike. #
