The Makabayan Coalition has alleged that a group of unidentified armed men violated the election resolution on fair election campaign by labeling them as “rebel terrorists” and disrupting an election campaign held in a private compound in Brooke’s Point on Sunday.
However, on the same day, an anonymous source told Palawan News in a private message that the group insisted on holding its campaign without the authority from barangay and municipal officials.
The source said despite non-permission from local government officials, Makabayan still asserted its presence to organize the youth, women, and indigenous peoples in Brooke’s Point.
“Nagpatuloy pa rin sa pag-oorganisa ng mga kabataan, kababaihan, at katutubo ang Makabayan block sa pangunguna ng Senatorial Candidate France Castro, Kabataan partylist nominee John Peter Angelo Garcia at iba pang kandidato sa Sitio Bagnaw, Brgy. Mainit, Bayan ng Brooke’s Point,” the source stated.
“Napag-alaman na hindi rin pinayagan ni Mayor Cesareo Benedito at [ng barangay kapitan] ng Mainit na si kap [Liezl] Bacquiao ang organizing activity sapagkat wala umanong koordinasyon ito sa kanila,” the source added.
Makabayan Coalition held a three-day activity in Palawan as part of their national campaign, having previously conducted consultations in the CALABARZON, Cebu, and Bicol Region area.
The coalition, composed of partylists Bayan Muna, Alliance of Concerned Teachers, Gabriela Women’s Party, and Kabataan, reached out to different sectors in communities affected by mining in Brooke’s Point in order to refine one of their bloc’s proposed bills, House Bill 259, also known as the People’s Mining Bill, which mandated mining operations to aid the local communities affected by their extraction and exploration activities.
During a press conference on March 18, Kabataan Partylist member John Peter Angelo Garcia narrated the events during their mining forum on March 16 at a private compound in Brgy. Mainit. At around 11 a.m., Garcia and other members of Kabataan were conducting a leadership training session for the assembled youth present during the forum.
“May dumating na mga lalaking hindi unipormado pero may isang may bitbit, may nakasabit na baril. At meron ding posas, naka-mask (…) nagpakilala sila na tanod ng barangay. Tapos nagsisigaw sila sa gilid na ‘Itigil niyo ‘yan, ilegal yan. Mag-aral na lang kayo,’ at kung anu-ano pang paninira,” Garcia said.
While the organizers continued the mining forum with the residents who were reportedly spooked by the presence of the unidentified men, some of the senatorial candidates approached the group, including Amirah Lidasan of Makabayan partylist, who captured the encounter using her mobile phone.
In a video shown to Palawan News, Lidasan and other candidates talked to the masked individuals and stated that they were reporting the disruption to COMELEC- to which the masked individuals agreed, so long as they stopped the current campaign efforts in the compound.
“Yung mga katutubo at mga magsasaka na pumunta doon sa konsultasyon, ay narinig… narinig ng barangay captain kung gaano kalakas ang boses nila. Pero hindi dapat umabot doon sa punto na red-tagging, terror-tagging,” Lidasan said.
The masked men claimed that the group did not have permission from the LGU to conduct any campaigns within the area, contrary to the presence of several members, such as former Palawan governor Art Ventura, barangay chairwoman Novelyn Aguilar, and UGNAYIN National Indigenous Peoples Network Chairperson Mamilmar Dubria, who attended the forum.
Garcia stated that the initial venue of the forum was to be done in the barangay hall, in order for other interested residents to join in on the activity. However, a last-minute change was done after sacks with red paint labeled “labanan ang rebeldeng terorista” were put-up along the route of their ride service from the venue to their accommodation.
While she was the only candidate present, who encountered similar protests in a previous campaign in Cagayan De Oro, Lidasan maintained that it was in Palawan where their group’s campaign was first disrupted, with their members directly harassed and labeled a terrorist.
“Mayroon din sa ibang mga parte, pero wala sa level ng outright na pagharap sa amin katulad sa ganyan. Kayo pa rin ang first honor,” she said.
Campaigns and consultations
The group’s election campaign was assisted on the ground by the Save Palawan Movement organization, directing them to different sectors in Puerto Princesa City on day 2 of their campaign.
Although the coalition involved other platforms, Makabayan focused on approaching the communities affected by mining in Palawan, following the historic law signed earlier in March that declared a 50-year moratorium on mining endorsements within the province.
Modesto Floranda from Makabayan partylist stated that they did not have the budget for the bigger campaigns that other national candidates and partylists had, which was why they focused on consulting smaller communities directly affected by the bills they wanted to propose.
“Sinabi natin sa kanila na ipapaabot natin ito sa COMELEC (…) Mandatory kami na issued guidelines, kahit saan kami pumunta ay dapat hindi kami hinahadlang ng sino man… Karapatan namin na tumungo sa mga liblib na mga lugar o lalawigan [upang mangampanya],” he said.
Atty. Renee Co of Kabataan Partylist said that possible violations were listed in Section 2-J under the guidelines for fair election campaign under COMELEC Resolution 11116.
Promulgated on February 19, the resolution declared that labeling groups and individuals as terrorists, dissenters, and criminals without evidence is considered an election offense in the 2025 midterm national and local polls.
“Yung incident na nagsasalita kami, and then may sumigaw sa grupo na iyon na nagmimistulang tanod pero ‘di pala. ‘Tumigil kayo diyan, nilalason niyo yung isip ng kabataan.’ Paglabas po namin after magdaos ng activity sa community, merong mga sako ng bigas na walang laman, tapos may red paint. Nakalagay doon ay terror-tagging messages, specifically tinatarget ang Kabataan Partylist. Ayon ay flagged namin siya,” she said.
Makabayan Southern Tagalog Media Liaison Isabel Pangilian stated that Makabayan also conducted a similar campaign in Oriental Mindoro regarding the People’s Mining Bill but did not receive the same harassment.
The members of the coalition stated that they will report the incident to COMELEC, and expressed their hope that the situation will also reach the Commission on Human Rights.
