MANILA – National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson for sectoral concerns Lorraine Badoy on Thursday said the complaint filed by Rappler CEO Maria Ressa is nothing more than one more attempt by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) to silence the task force.

“Because indeed, Rappler is a mouthpiece of this terrorist organization,” Badoy read her statement during a press briefing held at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City after filing a counter-affidavit against the KABAG Bloc.

She added: “I submit that there can be no better conduct of a high government official than to uphold my oath of office to defend and protect the Constitution from all threats and to use the powers vested on me to defeat a terrorist organization that has destroyed our people and our bright promise as a nation,” she added, answering Ressa’s accusation of conduct unbecoming of a “high ranking government official.”

Ressa filed an administrative complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against Badoy over “malicious and defamatory” posts and articles against the journalist, who is on bail on charges of cyber libel.

Badoy said she would gladly offer her life for her country like President Rodrigo Roa Duterte whose lead she follows and who has taught her and other public servants the true meaning of public service.

Nothing can stop the NTF-ELCAC from speaking the truth about the CPP-NPA-NDF, she said.

Meanwhile, former NPA cadre Jeffrey “Ka Eric” Celiz told the media why Ressa cannot accuse former rebels of red-tagging.

“Kapag kami ang nagsasalita, bakit kami hindi inaakusahan ni Maria Ressa, at ng mga dati namin mga kasama na nagrered-tag kami? Sapagkat direkta namin silang kilala at direkta naming alam ang aming sinasabi based on direct personal knowledge (If we are the one’s speaking, why Maria cannot accuse us that we are red-tagging. It is because we know them directly and what we are saying is based on direct personal knowledge),” Celiz said.

He also undermined threats of the alleged CPP-NPA-NDF front organizations to file cases against Badoy, National Security Adviser Secretary Hermogenes Esperon Jr., and other NTF-ELCAC officials saying there is nothing new to it.

“Dati na naming ginagawa yan. I-harass at takutin ang government leaders para hindi nila magampanan ang kanilang gawain to use the instruments of the state and the instruments of the law against sa CPP-NPA-NDF, sa amin, sa aming urban operations (We have done that before. We harass and threaten government leaders so they cannot focus on working to use the instruments of the state and the instruments of the law against CPP-NPA-NDF),” Celiz said.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

The NDF has been formally designated as a terrorist organization by the ATC on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and inseparable part” of the CPP-NPA created in April 1973. (PNA)