FALSE: Atty. Ligutan is a member of NUPL, CPP-NPA-NDF

Jessie Marco Cabrera

Former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Spokesperson Lorraine Badoy has identified Atty. Amando Virgil Ligutan, one of the private prosecutors in the House prosecution panel of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte, as a member of the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL), which she linked to the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army, and National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) through underground organization Lupon ng mga Manananggol para sa Bayan (LUMABAN).

CLAIM:

“Atty Ligutan is a member of the CPP NPA NDF front, NUPL that is linked to the underground org LUMABAN, a designated terrorist organization,” Badoy claimed in a Facebook post.

RATING: FALSE

CONCLUSION:

Atty. Maria Kristina Conti of the National Union of People’s Lawyers declared that he is not a member of their organization. Furthermore, the former anti-insurgency task force spokesperson was suspended in June for red-tagging allegations.

THE FACTS:

• Atty. Ligutan is not a member of the NUPL, as clarified by Atty. Maria Kristina Conti, the Secretary General of the lawyers’ organization.
• The NUPL has strongly denied allegations of being linked to the CPP-NPA-NDF and condemned the red-tagging against them.
• The Supreme Court has declared red-tagging as a legitimate threat to life, liberty, and security.
• Badoy, a licensed physician, was suspended last month by the Philippine Regulatory Commission from the practice for 6 months due to red-tagging health workers.

THE BOTTOMLINE:

Atty. Ligutan is neither a member of the NUPL nor the CPP-NPA-NDF.