SOME youth organizations and concerned citizens on Wednesday filed separate complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict Spokesperson Undersecretary Lorraine Marie Badoy for allegedly red-tagging Vice President Leni Robredo and other groups.

The complainants accused Badoy of engaging in partisan political activity, which is prohibited under the Omnibus Election Code and the Administrative Code of 1987.

Badoy on March 14 issued a statement linking Robredo to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front.

The complainants said that Badoy violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

“By utilizing the infrastructure of state media for purposes of influencing the minds of voters vis-a-vis the May 9, 2022 elections, Undersecretary Badoy has besmirched the reputation of her fellow public servant in the process by publicly associating the presidential campaign of Vice President Maria Leonor Gerona-Robredo with the Communist Party of the Philippines,” the complaint read.

“We are collectively shocked at such behavior, which we believe is unbecoming of Undersecretary Badoy’s office. Considering that her actions bear heavily upon discussions in the public sphere regarding the positions and qualifications for office of presidential aspirants, we believe that she should be disciplined for such breach of the public’s trust in a supposedly non-partisan and professional civil service,” it added.

The groups urged the Ombudsman to investigate Badoy and suspend her until June 2022 when the term of the Duterte administration ends.

Among the complainants include the National Union of Students of the Philippines president Jandeil Roperos and Youth Act Now Against Tyranny spokesperson Alicia Lucena.