MANILA (UPDATED) — Broadcast journalist Atom Araullo filed Monday a ₱2 million civil complaint against former anti-insurgency task force spokesperson Lorraine Badoy and host Jeffrey Celiz for allegedly red-tagging Araullo and his family on their TV show.

Araullo was accompanied by his parents and his counsel, Atty. Tony La Viña, at the Quezon City prosecutor's office.

"Ngayong araw nagsampa ako ng kasong civil laban kay former Usec. Lorraine Badoy at kay Jeffrey Celis dahil sa kanilang mga pahayag at paninirang puri laban sa akin at sa aking pamilya, sa pamamagitan ng kanilang programming sa SMNI at sa social media," Araullo said.

Araullo filed a civil suit instead of a criminal complaint because he said he opposed the criminalization of libel.

"Pero dapat managot ang mga pasimuno ng pagpapakalat ng disinformation lalo hindi ito pipigilan ito ay maaring magkaroon ng matinding epekto hindi lamang sa kalusugan ng aking pamilya kundi maging sa demokrasya sa kabuuan," Araullo said.

La Viña added: "Atom's reputation and mental health and the family is worth more than P2 million, 'di ba in fact priceless 'yun. Pero kailangan kasi sa court kasi reasonable pero kailangan din enough na may bigat pa rin sa may hinahabol."

"Napakahalaga na gawin nating accountable 'yung mga nagre-red tag at 'yung masamang consequences ng pagre-red tag. Gaya ng sinabi ni Atom, may consequences ;yun sa kaniya, sa kanyang pamilya, sa lipunan.
Importante ;yung civil liability lalo na for a media person. Ayaw natin ng libel, so Civil Code ang ginamit dito. Sinasabi kasi ng Civil Code, bawal kang maging mapang-api, bawal kang magsalita ng ganito sa inyong kapwa tao, napaka-simpleng provision ng Civil Code," La Viña also said.

Araullo's mom, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Emeritus Chairperson Carol Pagaduan Araullo, filed a similar complaint against Badoy and Celiz last month for "incessant red tagging" that she said demonized her and her organization.

According to La Viña, it is expected that the court in the coming weeks will order Badoy and Celiz to give a response regarding the complaints filed against them.

• Activist files P2.15-M civil suit vs Badoy, SMNI co-host over red-tagging

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Badoy served as assistant secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. She later became the spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict or NTF ELCAC.

Last year, a group of lawyers and law school deans also asked the Supreme Court to cite Badoy for indirect contempt over statements she made against a Manila RTC judge in a Facebook post.

Badoy criticized Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malagar after the latter junked the government’s petition to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the NPA as terrorist organizations.

Badoy later took down the Facebook post and denied she threatened the judge whom she called a “friend and defender of the CPP NPA NDF."

• Ex-ELCAC spox Badoy threatens judge, then denies Facebook post