Journalist Alfonso Tomas “Atom” Araullo has won a civil case against National Task Force-Elcac officials Lorraine Badoy-Partosa and Jeffrey Celiz for their Red-tagging. Badoy and Celiz were ordered to pay a total of ₱2.08 million in damages for the harm they caused Araullo. Lawyers from the Movement Against Disinformation represented him in court.
Araullo filed the case in September 2023 in response to the relentless vilification and spreading of lies by the two through their television program on SMNI and social media. The lawsuit stipulated that the two violated Araullo’s rights which seriously damaged and destroyed his reputation, peace of mind, and personal relationships.
In its decision, the court ruled that their Red-tagging of Araullo abused freedom of expression. This type of court decision is unprecedented.
The judge based the ruling on a Supreme Court decision stating that “red-tagging, vilification, labelling, and guilt by association constitute threats to a person’s right to life, liberty, or security.”
Meanwhile, the collective action of citizens, including proposals by local councils in Naga City and Baguio City against Red-tagging and other forms of intimidation and violence against human rights defenders, is also considered a victory.
