Red-tagging tops poll campaign violations
MANILA, Philippines — Cases of political parties and their candidates being Red-tagged topped the list of campaign violations recorded by poll watchdogs VoteReportPH and Kontradaya for the May 12 elections.
The groups said in their initial report on March 14 that of the 94 cases of poll violations they collated since the campaign period started on Feb. 12 up to March 14, a total of 60 cases or 63.8 percent involved Red-tagging.
In second place was illegal campaigning (24.5 percent), particularly the use of campaign materials not of the size or material specified by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), or the posting of these outside common poster areas.
The other violations were vote-buying (4.3 percent), other violations (4.2 percent), and illegal use of public resources (3.2 percent).
READ: Bayan Muna asks Comelec for help vs Red-tagging
Among those who complained of being Red-tagged were candidates running under the Makabayan coalition, including those from opposition party list groups Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela, ACT Teachers and Kabataan.
“Some reports of Red-tagging have been observed to be results of the use of deepfakes to spread disinformation; usual victims of Red-tagging are progressive senatorial and/or party list candidates,” VoteReportPH said.
ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, who is running for senator, was among the victims. A deepfake edit showed her holding a rifle with alleged members of the New People’s Army, the armed group of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
“As early as now, the Comelec should take these violations seriously and penalize the violators. Otherwise, the violations will just pile up and get worse,” said University of the Philippines professor Danilo Arao, Kontradaya convener.
Comelec’s response
In a message to reporters on Sunday, Comelec Chair George Garcia said they would look into the report of the election watchdogs and compare it with their own record of campaign violations.
“We are one with them in the fight against discriminatory acts and utterances committed during the election period and will hold responsible violators of campaign rules,” he said.
Under Comelec Resolution No. 11116 issued for the May polls, labeling groups and individuals as terrorists, dissenters and criminals without evidence is an election offense.
The poll body defines labeling as “the act of categorizing, classifying, labeling, branding, associating, naming, and accusing individuals, groups and/or organizations of being ‘vocal dissenters’ and activists or subversive group sympathizers or terrorists, or belonging to a criminal group/syndicate without evidence.”
Bayan Muna earlier urged the Comelec to put more teeth into its policy against political discrimination by going after those involved behind the Red-tagging of the party and its nominees.
