BY ASHZEL HACHERO and WENDELL VIGILIA
THE Supreme Court yesterday warned individuals who red-tag judges and threaten them and their families with violence that they could face contempt charges.
The stern warning came after several organizations such as the Philippine Judges Association, Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and Hukom Inc. asked government to act on threats being hurled against Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malagar, of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 19, who recently junked the government’s bid to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, as terrorist organizations.
Among those who threatened Magdoza-Malagar was Lorraine Badoy, spokesman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) under the Duterte administration.
“The Court sternly warns those who continue to incite violence through social media and other means which endanger the lives of judges and their families, and that this shall likewise be considered a contempt of this Court and will be dealt with accordingly,” the SC said.
The High Court, during their en banc session yesterday, also tackled motu proprio “possible actions” regarding statements made by Badoy against Magdoza-Malagar.
At the House, a militant lawmaker asked why the PNP is not investigating Badoy for posting “death threats” against Magdoza-Malagar.
“Does the police have any intention of arresting her because she is putting the security and life of Judge Malagar at risk? What would be the PNP’s action points on this? In this country, we don’t even take bomb jokes lightly,” Rep. Raoul Manuel (PL, Kabataan) said during deliberations on the budget of the Department of Interior and Local Government.
Badoy, in a Facebook post last Friday, accused Magdoza-Malagar of “lawyering” for the CPP-NPA.
“So if I kill this judge and I do so out of my political belief that all allies of the CPP NPA NDF must be killed because there is no difference in my mind between a member of the CPP NPA NDF and their friends, then please be lenient with me,” said Badoy in the post which was deleted the following day.
She also denied making a hypothetical statement on killing Magdoza-Malagar, calling it “fake news.”
It was not the first time that a judge was vilified and threatened with harm.
Last year, Mandaluyong RTC Judge Monique Quisumbing-Ignacio was red-tagged in two tarpaulins hung on footbridges along EDSA after she dismissed charges of illegal possession of firearms filed against activists Lady Ann Salem and Rodrigo Esparago.
The SC responded to Quisumbing-Ignacio’s red-tagging then by issuing a rare, strongly worded statement condemning threats and killings of lawyers and judges.
Magdoza-Malagar, in junking the government’s case against the CPP-NPA in a ruling dated September 21, said the communist movement was not organized for the purpose of engaging or committing terrorism.
The judge also cautioned those who have the propensity to red-tag individuals or groups, saying it puts the lives of activists in danger.
ARRESTS
At the House, during the plenary deliberations on the DILG’s P251.18-billion budget for 2023, Manuel cited cases of individuals who made threats and were arrested immediately.
One is that of teacher Ronnel Mas who he said was immediately arrested by the NBI on May 11, 2020 and made to publicly apologize on camera after posting on Twitter an offer of a P50 million reward to anyone who could kill then President Duterte.
On May 13, 2020, Manuel said, operatives of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Central Visayas (CIDG 7) arrested in Cebu then 26-year-old Maria Catherine Cerom for allegedly posting on her Facebook account that she was willing to pay P75 million for anyone who would assassinate Duterte.
“Now, we are citing this because our police had basis for arresting people who issued death threats on social media or other platforms. The former spokesman of the NTF-ELCAC, Lorraine Badoy-Partosa, has a similar act and we want to know if the police has an intention to arrest her. The safety, security and life of the Manila RTC judge are all in peril),” Manuel said in mixed Filipino and English.
Manuel pointed out that Badoy also made bomb threats against the judge, stressing that Presidential Decree No. 1727 prohibits one from even making bomb jokes alone.
Budget sponsor Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Luisa Cuaresma acknowledged Manuel’s point and committed that the PNP will investigate the matter, and a copy of their findings will be submitted to Manuel’s office.
“We acknowledge the response of our sponsor sa (to the) DILG. To us, it’s clear as day that the police are biased,” Cuaresma said in mixed English and Filipino.
