Makabayan files Red-tagging complaint vs NTF-Elcac executive director
Makabayan bloc files a complaint before the Commission on Elections on Tuesday, April 22, against NTF-Elcac Executive Director Ernesto Torres Jr. for red-tagging allegations. —Photo courtesy of Makabayan
MANILA, Philippines — The Makabayan coalition on Tuesday urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) anew to solve the complaints they filed against remarks that may violate the Comelec’s anti-discriminatory resolution.
The complainants, senatorial candidates Liza Maza, France Castro, Amirah Lidasan and Arlene Brosas, Kabataan Party-list Representative Raoul Manuel, and Bayan Muna Party-list nominee Atty. Kristina Conti, filed a criminal complaint against National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) executive director Ernesto Torres Jr.
The complainants argued that Torres “is committing a blatant act of disinformation, fake news peddling, and fraud against the public by claiming that the MAKABAYAN Representatives, the party-lists under the MAKABAYAN, and groups that work with the MAKABAYAN have links to the CPP-NPA-NDF [Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front].”
“He does so without a shred of evidence, given that he knows fully well that his claim is false and thus, such evidence does not exist. Still, he engages in Red-tagging, taking advantage of a phenomenon made worse in the social media age: that “a lie repeated becomes truth,” the complaint added.
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They also noted that the following actions of Torres constitute election offenses under the Omnibus Election Code, Comelec Resolution No. 11116, and Comelec’s Joint Circular with the Civil Service Commission: threat, intimidation, actual violence, and fraudulent devices, and schemes; Red-tagging or labeling; propagation of false reports; intervention of public officers in partisan activities; use of public funds for election campaign; and unlawful electioneering.
The complainants highlighted the Comelec Resolution No. 11116 of the Anti-discrimination and Fair Campaigning Guidelines for the 2025 elections where labeling an individual or group belonging to terrorists or subversive groups without evidence is considered an election offense.
They also pointed out a landmark Supreme Court ruling declaring that “R1ed-tagging, vilification, labelling, and guilt by association constitute threats to a person’s right to life, liberty, or security.”
In the complaint, they presented statements of Torres and the NTF-Elcac linking members of the Makabayan Bloc to the communist group.
Further, the complainants asked the Comelec to stop the continued publication of online posts of Torres and NTF-Elcac, given that the poll body has the power to prohibit the spread of misinformation and false election propaganda.
Action needed
For the past months, Makabayan block asked the Comelec to probe red-tagging complaints. However, Maza said that they did not receive any action from the poll body yet.
“We are disappointed na marami nang kaso pero walang aksyon. And malinaw na mayroon nang Comelec rule against red tagging. So we are hoping na talagang maaaksyunan yung complaint,” Maza told reporters in an interview.
(We are disappointed that there have been many cases but there is still no action. And it is clear that there is now a Comelec rule against red-tagging. So we are hoping that they will act on this complaint.)
Maza also emphasized that they won’t take any red-tagging allegations against them lightly, calling on the Comelec to make Torres accountable for his actions.
“Kami po ay humihiling sa Comelec na kagyat na imbestigahan at ipahinto ang ganitong klase ng red-tagging and political harassment and discrimination against us,” Maza noted.
(We are calling on the Comelec to immediately investigate and stop this kind of red-tagging and political harassment and discrimination against us.
