‘Spreading harmful lies has consequences.’
Award-winning broadcast journalist Atom Araullo has won a landmark civil suit against his red-taggers, securing a groundbreaking lower court decision that could set a precedent for other victims of red-tagging.
By holding former state anti-insurgency task force spokesperson Lorraine Badoy-Partosa and confessed former New People’s Army member Jeffrey Celiz liable for defamation, the court vindicated Araullo and exposed the harm caused by disinformation.
If we all can remember, Atom Araullo filed cases against Badoy and Celiz over red tagging allegations. He cited articles 19, 20, 21, 26 and 33 of the New Civil Code of the Philippines in seeking civil damages before the lower court.
Badoy and Celiz had earlier accused Atom of having ties to the communist terrorist group during their talk show aired on SMNI, owned by Apollo Quiboloy.
Atom is the son of Chairperson Emerita Carol Pagaduan Araullo, who also filed a separate civil suit against Badoy.
In a statement, Atom said, “I am elated by the court’s ruling. Above all, this case opens up a legal option for anyone who has been a victim of red-tagging and harmful disinformation, particularly journalists. It is not OK to be attacked or harassed simply for doing our jobs.”
Atom thanked the lawyers of Movement Against Disinformation (MAD) who worked hard on this case. We would also like to thank everyone who expressed their support.
Araullo decried the “defamatory attacks” made by Badoy and Celiz in the talk show “Laban Kasama ang Bayan,” a SMNI News Channel segment, and in a video clip of Celiz posted on “Today” Facebook page.
The court firmly stated that the defendants “deliberately sought to discredit and inflict harm” on Araullo as a person and as a journalist by “associating him with the CPP-NPA-NDF without proof.”
“These labels and remarks went beyond mere editorial opinion or fair commentary and worse, incited backlash, threats and public hatred toward the plaintiff,” the decision reads, while showing samples of notably vile comments from viewers and followers of Celiz and Badoy.
“These statements labeling the plaintiff as an enabler, supporter, and member of the CPP-NPA-NDF, identified by the government as a communist and terrorist group, clearly exemplify red-tagging,” the court said.
The court reiterated Supreme Court’s characterization of and decision on red-tagging which “involves the branding of individuals as communists, terrorists or enemies of the State, without factual evidence.”
The highest court earlier acknowledged red-tagging as a “form of harassment and intimidation.”
Moreover, the QC court agreed with Araullo that Celiz and Badoy’s “meddling” with his life and family had caused “damage and injury to his dignity, personality, and peace of mind.” “The accusations pried into the family life of the plaintiff, disturbed his family relations, and publicly humiliated him and his mother. The remarks have also incited unwarranted hostility against the plaintiff and his mother,” it added.
The National Union of Journalist in the Philippines (NUJP) welcomed the court’s decision, saying “Apart from the moral victory and vindication, this court win shows — as activists and rights defenders have repeatedly raised —that red-tagging causes actual damage and harm.”
NUJP further said, “May it also serve as a warning to red-taggers that the media community can, has, and will hold you accountable in as many venues are available.
“More broadly, the case also shows how one can seek redress for defamation without resorting to criminal libel, an archaic and anachronistic law that has often been used to silence critical reporting, criticism and dissent.”
Atom’s win opens the doors to others targeted by red tagging. His courage inspires hope against journalists and activists and leaves a clear message: Spreading harmful lies has consequences.
