A COALITION of politicians, religious leaders, and grassroots organizations from Davao has urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to revise Resolution No. 11116 to protect constitutional rights, particularly the right to free speech and fair discourse.
The group’s call centers on Section 2 of the resolution, which they argue could infringe upon the fundamental right of freedom of expression, particularly in the context of election-related events and political discussions.
Among the provisions in the Comelec’s Resolution No. 11116 Section 2 is its “labeling” prohibition.
Labeling, according to the resolution, “refers to the act of categorizing, classifying, labeling, branding, associating, naming and accusing groups and/or organizations as "vocal dissenters" and activist or subversive group sympathizers or terrorists, or belonging to a criminal group/syndicate without evidence, whether in-person or online, broadcast or in print, during the election period and in connection with or in relation to any election-related activity, including but not limited to campaign activities…”
During a media forum titled “To Tell the Truth is not Red-Tagging,” organized by Kalinaw Southeastern Mindanao on Friday, March 7, 2025, the organization, composed of former rebels advocating for peace and reconciliation in the Davao Region, highlighted the importance of truth.
The forum emphasized that while "red-tagging" can endanger individuals, truth-telling is not the same as red-tagging. It further asserted that exposing subversive groups and calling out deception is not a crime but a fundamental right.
Among the event's key figures were Bishop Wenceslao Molato of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Rev. Joyce Laroga of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP-Bukidnon), Fellowship of Congregational Churches, and Anita Rae Manalastas of the Youth for Peace Movement.
Jayvee Tyron Uy, vice governor of Davao de Oro, also played a leading role in the event.
Arian Jane Ramos, president of Kalinaw Southeastern Mindanao and a former leader of the New People’s Army (NPA), emphasized the importance of safeguarding free speech. Known by her alias Marikit, Ramos served as the secretary of Guerrilla Front 55 under the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee.
She spoke about the organization's activities in Paquibato District in Davao City and expressed concerns that anti-government political groups, such as Gabriela Partylist, Kabataan Partylist, and Act Teachers Partylist, which she claims are affiliated with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New People’s Army (NPA), and National Democratic Front (NDF), or known as CPP-NPA-NDF, have infiltrated the halls of Congress, posing a further threat to democratic freedoms.
“Ang pagbabalik-loob namin ay ang pagbabalik serbiyso sa mga tao para po sabihin kung ano ang katotohanan sa likod ng New People’s Army at ang kanyang koneksyon sa mga legal front organizations (Our conversion is about returning service to the people, to tell them the truth behind the New People’s Army and its connection to legal front organizations),” Ramos said, adding that they keep uncovering the deception of groups that pose as human rights defenders while supporting subversion.
On February 28, Ramos, along with top former officials of the decades-long communist guerrilla group in the Philippines, addressed the national media and submitted a letter to the central office in Palacio del Gobernador, Intramuros, Manila, requesting amendments to the Comelec resolution.
While the group praised the campaign's fairness for vulnerable sectors, they raised concerns about the prohibition on labeling individuals as criminal or subversive during elections. They argued this restriction limits discussions on groups with historical ties to insurgency.
“The resolution disproportionately protects those claiming victimhood without considering that many of us — former rebels and victims — are also unfairly labeled when we speak out,” the group stated. They emphasized that red-tagging lacks evidence and that their accounts are based on lived experiences.
The group expressed concerns that the broad wording of Comelec Resolution No. 11116 could be misused as a political weapon, potentially silencing those whose accounts are dismissed by the same entities causing harm. They warned it could “disenfranchise real victims” and fail to protect the powerless.
The group urged Comelec to focus on strengthening fact-checking, implementing a transparent grievance process, enforcing existing rules, and protecting vulnerable groups, including former rebels and insurgency victims.
According to Ramos, for over 50 years, the Filipino people have suffered due to a deceptive and violent communist insurgency. Today, more than 51,000 former rebels, along with many others who remain unaccounted for, have returned to the fold of the law.
“We know the truth. We lived through the lies and tactics of the CPP-NPA-NDF, from recruitment in schools and communities to the execution of the so-called 'people’s protracted war' to overthrow the government and establish a socialist state,” Ramos, who has faced backlash from other progressive and left-wing groups, said.
"To vote for them is to vote for armed struggle. To vote for them is to vote for more dead youth, Indigenous Peoples, farmers, workers, women, and all other vulnerable sectors of society. The Filipino people deserve leaders who will work for peace and development, not those who justify violence, glorify terrorism, and serve foreign communist interests,” she added. DEF