Kalinaw Southern Mindanao, Inc., along with hundreds of former rebels and victims of insurgency, staged a rally at the Freedom Park in Davao City on Friday questioning the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution No. 11116, particularly Section 2, to ensure it does not violate constitutional rights to free speech and fair discourse.
The Comelec has recently issued a resolution declaring that labeling groups and individuals as terrorists, dissenters, and criminals without evidence is an election offense in the 2025 midterm national and local polls.
“During the election period, any person who, directly or indirectly, committing acts of bullying on the basis of HIV status, coercion, discrimination, against women, discrimination against PWDs (persons with disabilities), on the use of public accommodations, gender-based harassment, labeling public ridicule against PWDs, vilification of PWDs, violation of an anti-discrimination ordinance, and/or violation of rights to religious, cultural sites, and ceremonies as defined under Section 2 of this Resolution shall be liable for an election offense pursuant to Section 13 of RA 9006 and Section 261 (e) of the OEC (Omnibus Election Code) and other pertinent laws, rules, and regulations,” said the resolution approved by the Commission en banc.
The Comelec Resolution 11116 also provided the same for acts of bullying and discrimination, covering gender, ethnicity, age, religion, and disabilities, among others.
These acts may be committed in person, through radio or television, newspaper publications, the internet, and other similar mediums.
According to the rallyists, the resolution does not protect democracy but suppresses those who have first-hand knowledge of how the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP) manipulates elections through their legal democratic organizations and party-list groups.
Pedro Arnado, vice chair of Kalinaw, cited the example of Makabayan Bloc and according to him just took advantage of this election to strengthen the recovery in their armed struggle in the countryside.
“Kaning Makabayan Bloc gipahimuslan lang gyud ni nila ning election para pagpakusog sa recovery sa armadong pakigbisog sa kabukiran. Kanang Makabayan Bloc partylist sa Congress nga karon gipadayon gihapon nila ang ilang partylist ug nagkandidato sila sa pagka senador. Sa among han-ay dako ang kadaut ang komunista sa kabukiran ug kasyudaran kay sa panahon na makadaug na wala sila’y laing laraw kundi pakusgon ang pakigbisog sa NPA dinhi sa kabukiran ug kasyudaran aron mapukan ang gobyerno sa Pilipinas,” Arnado told Edge Davao.
The group claimed that the resolution disproportionately shields communist-linked groups while silencing those who seek to expose them.
“We stand firm in our belief that it is not red-tagging when we expose the truth based on our own lived experiences. It should be noted that the real issue here is not unfounded accusations. Our decades of participation in the armed insurgency give us credibility and responsibility to expose the deception and infiltration of democratic spaces by these groups that have long waged war against the state,” the group said in a statement.
The group filed a petition to the Comelec addressed to Comelec chair George Erwin Garcia on Friday concerning the Comelec Resolution No. 11116 on the Anti-Discrimination and Fair Campaigning Guidelines for Purposes of the May 12, 2025, National and Local Elections.
Among the group’s prayers include amendment or repealing the resolution so that it aligns with the guaranteed rights under the 1987 Constitution and international covenants particularly Section 2 of Comelec Resolution No. 11116; and implement a fair and transparent grievance mechanism to ensure that complaints are processed objectively not politically.
