Brosas: Badoy and Duterte's lackeys are the ones who should be kicked out from public service

Gabriela party-list Representative Arlene Brosas on Tuesday denounced NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy for her remark that the Makabayan bloc should be removed from Congress through "legal means."

"Now we've heard it again straight from the wicked horse's mouth. Badoy's statement is just another proof that the NTF-ELCAC has long been using its P19 billion budget to go after progressive groups who are critical of this administration," Brosas, member of the progressive bloc, said in a statement.

"In fact, this terror-tagging agency even filed a disqualification case under trumped-up charges against Gabriela Women's Party which is still ongoing," she added.

In response, Brosas said the individuals who need to be kicked out of public office are Badoy and President Rodrigo Duterte's military lackeys who, she claimed, use public funds to "disenfranchise millions of marginalized Filipino people."

In a press conference Monday, Badoy reiterated her claim that some of the progressive group's lawmakers are members of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

"Why do we want Makabayan bloc out of Congress? Very simple, the members of the Makabayan bloc are high-ranking party members of the CPP-NPA-NDF,” Badoy said.

Brosas said she would block the NTF-ELCAC's 2022 budget as the anti-communist insurgency task force is gearing to propose a higher budget before the Congress in time for the national elections.

"As the 2022 election draws near, the NTF-ELCAC will most likely propose a higher budget to amplify its red-tagging machinery against the Makabayan bloc and other progressive groups," Brosas said.

"Hindi magdadalawang isip ang Duterte administration na gamitin ang kaban ng bayan upang matanggal ang buong Makabayan bloc sa Kongreso para malaya na itong makapagpasa ng mga anti-mamamayang polisiya," she added.

(The Duterte administration will not think twice in using the public's funds to remove Makabayan bloc from Congress so that they can push through with their policies that are not serving citizens well.)

"Pero hindi kami magpapatinag. Hindi magtatagumpay ang kasinungalingan, kadiliman, at klima ng takot sa pagkitil sa boses ng kababaihan at mamamayan (But we will not allow this. Lies will not win over threats to silence women and the general public)," she said.

GMA News Online sought Badoy for her comment but has yet to receive a reply as of this posting.—AOL, GMA News