Badoy vows to protect indigenous peoples

Metro Manila, Philippines — Former spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Lorraine Badoy vowed to protect the indigenous peoples as she runs as the second nominee of Epanaw Sambayanan Party-list.

The party-list, with its first nominee lawyer Marlon Bosantog and Badoy, filed its certificate of nomination and acceptance on Sunday, Oct. 6 before the Commission on Elections’ offsite office at the Manila Hotel.

Epanaw Sambayanan Party-list’s main agenda is to save indigenous peoples from alleged exploitation committed by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), its armed wing New People’s Army (NPA), and the National Democratic Front (NDF).

“The most heinous crimes against our indigenous peoples were done by the CPP-NPA-NDF,” Badoy said.

“You cannot fight for the rights of indigenous peoples without unmasking the CPP-NPA-NDF. And you cannot fight for our country without fighting against the CPP-NPA-NDF,” she added.

Progressive group Bayan Muna slammed Badoy’s move to seek a seat at 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," former Bayan Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat said in a statement.

The Supreme Court earlier said that red-tagging is a threat to the right to life, liberty, and security. In 2022, it dismissed a petition to proscribe the CPP-NPA as a terrorist group.

The High Court has also found Badoy guilty of indirect contempt after red-tagging a judge.