CONTRIBUTED BY ILANG ILANG QUIJANO
Bulatlat

QUEZON PROVINCE—A young election volunteer in the municipality of Sariaya in Quezon Province has complained of surveillance and harassment by suspected military agents, bringing her case to the attention of foreign delegates from the Peoples International Peoples Observers Mission (IOM) visiting the area.

Irene Añoso, a nineteen-year old poll watcher for Kabataan (Youth) party list in Brgy. Poblacion, Sariaya, today told the team lead by Belgian trade unionist Johan Fobbelets that she was being profiled and pursued by unidentified men ever since Election Day last May 14.

Añoso told the team that men in military-style haircuts and civilian clothing were seen started taking unauthorized photographs and videos of poll watchers, including herself, throughout precincts in Brgy. Poblacion at around 8:00 a.m. on May 14.

These men carried dubious Commission on Election (Comelec) IDs which lacked basic information, such as names, pictures, and authorized signatures, Añoso said.

Añoso also received malicious text messages from unidentified sources. At around 7:42 pm on May 14, she received a text message that read: “Kamusta ang binabantayan mo na party-list ng NPA?” (How is the NPA party-list that you are watching for?)

Later, when she and another Kabataan Party-list pollwatcher were on their way home that night in Sariaya, a red car with a government plate kept sidetracking the tricycle they were riding on. They were trailed for about an hour by the said vehicle.

Añoso also received similar reports that men aboard motorcycles were roaming around that night in the vicinity, looking for Kabataan poll watchers.

Kabataan party list is among the progressive party-lists reportedly being discredited by the Arroyo administration and by elements of the 74th and 76th Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army deployed in Quezon as “front organizations” of the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People’s Army.

Añoso’s testimony added to the IOM’s observations that black propaganda, threats, and actual violence were being used against progressive party-lists such as Bayan Muna (People First), Anakpawis (Toiling Masses), and Gabriela Women’s Party.

“Slogans maligning progressive party-lists, usually painted on sacks or over campaign posters, are usually found in areas near military detachments,” Fobbelets noted.

“The attacks against progressive party-lists tend to show that the Philippine elections are an exercise in silencing the voices of the marginalized, rather than that of democracy,” said Fobbelets. ###

 Save as PDF