SMNI hosts guilty of red-tagging Atom Araullo based on the court decision.
ATOM ARAULLO – The journalist claimed a legal victory against red-taggers Lorraine Badoy and Jeffrey Celiz who will be facing this penalty.
A 27-page court decision dated December 12, 2024, was released by Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 306 through Judge Dolly Rose Bolante-Prado. The decision stated, “The right to free speech is not absolute; it imposes limitations on its exercise to ensure that it will not impinge upon the rights of others. It does not protect defamatory statements.”
To recall, journalist Atom Araullo filed a civil case against hosts of SMNI or Sonshine Media Network International of Apollo Quiboloy. These hosts are Lorraine Badoy-Partosa and Jeffrey Celiz who red-tagged him as a “member” or “enabler” of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
Red-tagging has been declared a threat to people’s lives, liberty, and security.
In the red-tagging case of Araullo filed in September 2023, red-tagging is “inherently malicious” and malice is an element of criminal libel. It also “violated the plaintiff’s right to peace of mind”, a violation of Article 26 that protects a person’s dignity, personality, privacy, and peace of mind.
The judge added, “These labels and remarks went beyond mere editorial opinion or fair commentary and, worse, incited backlash, threats, and public hatred toward the plaintiff.”
The court ordered Badoy and Celiz to pay Araullo more than Php 2 million in nominal, moral, and exemplary damages plus an additional amount for the attorney’s fees and the cost of the suit.
Meanwhile, Araullo is elated over the court’s ruling. Also, for him, “this case opens up a legal option for anyone who has been a victim of red-tagging and harmful, particularly journalists”. He stressed that it is not ok to be attacked for simply doing the job.
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