NTF-ELCAC to take ‘legal action’ versus FB, Rappler, Vera Files

THE National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) vowed to take “legal action” against social media platform giant, ‘Facebook,’ and its ‘fact checkers,’ Rappler, an online news site, for their consistent defense of front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). Also to be sued is Vera Files, another online publication and co-fact checker by FB.

“The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict is taking legal action against Rappler for its spread of disinformation that has brought and continues to bring great harm on our people and our beloved country,” said presidential communications undersecretary and NTF-ELCAC spokesperson for New Media and Sectoral Concerns.

“We will also take legal action against Facebook and hold them accountable for allowing their fact-checkers, Rappler and Vera Files, to abuse the immense powers of this designation to operate, with shameless impunity, the spread of false information that is inimical to national security and to use their platform to harm our citizens and the sovereignty of our nation, malign the government of the Republic of the Philippines and shake to its very core, the foundations of our Constitution,” Badoy added.

The decision to pursue legal cases against FB and Rappler has been seconded by the “legal cluster” (LCC) of the NTF-ELCAC, after careful study of the legal issues involved.

As FB ‘fact checker,’ Rappler last January 30, 2022, released a report branding as “false” Badoy’s statement 10 days before that those pushing for HB 10576 or the ‘Human Rights Defenders’ Bill’ coming from the Makabayan Bloc are “urban operatives” of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).

Badoy’s statement was grounded on the sworn statements of former CPP-NPA officials and cadres who have since surrendered to the government.

Rappler, on the other hand, based its conclusion on the mere fact that those comprising the Makabayan Bloc—Bayan Muna, ACT, COURAGE, Kabataan, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Anakbayan, etc., have been registered by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to participate in the country’s elections under the partylist system.

Badoy herself, has been a consistent “victim” of FB’s censorship—her account has been taken down by FB for at least 10 times already for posting statements against the CPP and its front organizations.

On the other hand, the social media giant is yet to censure sites and posts promoting the CPP agenda, despite repeated complaints from various sectors, even from the government.

Recently, the post of Joy ‘Ka Amihan’ Saguino, a former front secretary of Guerilla Front 20, Southern Mindanao Regional Party Committee (SMRPC), was taken down by FB for allegedly “violating” its “community standards.”

The video post, taken by Saguino himself, showed members of Anakbayan while holding their “graduation” inside an NPA camp.

Since September 2020, when FB took down hundreds of accounts critical of the CPP, the NTF-ELCAC and even the National Privacy Commission have been in constant dialogue with FB Philippines to discuss the latter’s disregard for the Filipinos’ right to information as guaranteed under the 1987 Constitution.

Facebook has also consistently and repeatedly taken down and censured the accounts of those critical of the CPP and its front groups, mostly on the ‘fact-checking’ done by Rappler and Vera Files.

Badoy said that while the specifics of the cases to be filed are yet to be finalized, they would center on the violation of Article 3 (Bill of Rights) of the 1987 Constitution and the threats to national security and public interests that are being violated by FB and its two fact-checkers.

“We would like the Filipino people to know that your government is serious in ending this 53- year communist scourge that has brought so much grief and suffering on our people–in no small measure, aided and abetted by unethical journalists with no love for country– and we are ceaseless in our protection and defense of the Republic and our people,” Badoy added.