KALINAW Southeastern Mindanao denounced Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution No. 11116, stressing that it does not protect democracy and threatens freedom of speech.
Kalinaw, along with provincial affiliates Kalinaw Davao de Oro, Kalinaw Davao del Sur, and Kalinaw Davao del Norte, staged a rally on Friday, February 28, at Freedom Park in Roxas to call for the repeal of the resolution.
Comelec Resolution No. 11116 or the Anti-Discrimination and Fair Campaigning Guidelines for the purposes of May 12, 2025 National and Local Elections released on February 19 specifically mandated that any forms of labeling groups and individuals as terrorists without evidence is an election offense.
Citing existing laws, the guidelines intend to safeguard and prohibit discrimination against indigenous peoples, LGBTQIA+, persons with disabilities, women, persons with HIV and AIDS, and other marginalized sectors of society.
Kalinaw said in a press release, while the resolution prevents unfair labeling, in reality, “it disproportionately shields communist-linked groups while silencing those who seek to expose them.”
“Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democracy. The Comelec resolution dangerously undermines this by restricting discussions about individuals and organizations with ties to groups that have historically waged war against the government,” it reads.
Kalinaw, comprising former members of the CPP-NPA-NDFP, recognized they have been called names such as paid hacks, state agents, and red-taggers, when they were only simply telling the truth.
“We fear that it suppresses those of us who have firsthand knowledge of how the CPP-NPA-NDFP manipulates elections through their legal democratic organizations and party-list groups. We stand firm in our belief that it is not red-tagging when we expose the truth based on our own lived experiences,” it added.
The group stressed the resolution is some form of censorship that prevents open discussions, which only protects those who have deceived and exploited communities for decades.
“For many of us, this is our first time engaging in the democratic process, even as there are other challenges in the process of our reintegration,” Kalinaw said, fearing their exercise to participate in free and fair elections might be hard without facing persecution.
The group claimed that the resolution is broadly worded with vague terms such as “labeling”, “branding”, and “associating” and without providing clear definitions and limits, that it can be used as a political weapon.
On Feb. 27, Kalinaw filed a petition to the Comelec through Chairman George Erwin Garcia to amend or repeal the resolution and ensure it did not violate the rights to free speech and fair discourse.
