The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) suspended the medical license of National Task Force-Elcac former spokesperson Lorraine Badoy, after it found her guilty of violating standards of proper professional conduct. The decision stems from Badoy’s Red-tagging and baseless accusations against doctors and health workers, especially the progressive union Alliance of Health Workers (AHW).

The PRC Board of Medicine’s May 8, 2026 decision imposed a six-month suspension on Badoy’s Certificate of Registration for “unethical” and “unprofessional conduct” in violation of the Code of Ethics of the Medical Profession. This consequently prohibits her from engaging in any medicine related practice during the period of suspension.

According to AHW, the decision affirms that professionals must not weaponize their authority to spread baseless accusations that threaten the lives of others.

“This is an initial victory for doctors, nurses, and other professionals who stand against harassment and abuse of power…although the six-month suspension falls short of our demand to revoke her license, the message is clear: Red-tagging has consequences,” the group stated.

AHW filed a complaint before the PRC in 2022 seeking the revocation of Badoy’s license over her repeated Red-tagging of health workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Aside from this, 17 doctors called for the suspension of her license over statements they described as “grossly unprofessional conduct.”

On April 7 and 10, 2021, Badoy maliciously accused AHW of being an organization “created by the CPP-NPA-NDF” to infiltrate the government. Badoy issued a media statement on April 12, 2021 accusing Robert Mendoza and AHW former president and secretary general Benjamin Santos, as “operatives and cadres of the CPP-NPA-NDF.” Badoy also accused Dr. Natividad “Naty” Castro as an active member, recruiter, trainer, and fundraiser for the CPP-NPA-NDF.

According to AHW, such statements exposed them to danger at a time when they were calling for adequate government support while responding to Covid-19 patients. These statements inflicted double suffering on them during the pandemic because many health workers died and were placed at risk as a result of the incompetence and militarized response of the Duterte regime to the pandemic.

The Movement Against Disinformation (MAD) also welcomed the PRC decision. “A medical license carries public trust…It cannot be used as a shield for reckless and baseless defamation,” MAD founding chairperson Atty. Rico Domingo said.

Current MAD chairperson Atty. Tony La Viña said the PRC decision affirms a clear boundary between legitimate expression and baseless public accusations.

“This principle is important. There may be freedom of expression, but a professional who uses their status, platform, and position to accuse and attach dangerous labels to real people must be held accountable to professional standards,” La Viña explained.

MAD called on professional regulatory bodies, government officials, media, and platforms to treat Red-tagging and disinformation as issues that require accountability, not as mere political noise.