On February 23, a group of Makabayan volunteers were campaigning for Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza when a certain Maj. Arnal Manjares hit one of the volunteers twice in the face. With a pistol in his hand, Manjares even threatened the volunteers that he would kill them if they ever came back.

In other parts of Mindanao, such as in the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon and Iligan, suspected soldiers in civilian clothes have been dismantling posters and other campaign materials of Ocampo and Maza and of progressive partylist groups.

Meanwhile, elements of the 202nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army went to Sityo Kabute, Barangay Real in Calamba City on March 7, at around 10 p.m. On board a 6×6 truck, the soldiers led by a certain Lt. Ansino said they were there to conduct a “feeding program.” The soldiers belonged to the same unit responsible for the arrest of 43 health workers, also known as Morong 43, on February 6.

Throughout the night, the residents barricaded all the entrance and exit points to their community, blocking the military from entering. The soldiers left in the morning. According to some residents, the soldiers were looking for Bayan Muna leaders in the area.

Bayan Muna- Southern Tagalog tried to reach by phone Calamba City Mayor Joaquin Chipeco who is also the Regional Peace and Order Chief of Region 4-A but he was out of reach. Chipeco had requested the AFP to help in the relief operations for the Ondoy and Peping victims in Calamba, but the soldiers stayed on even after the relief operations.

Residents have already signed a petition to drive away the military in their area but they were ignored by the Sangguniang Bayan. The petition was instead passed on to the Department of the Interior and Local Government. Bayan Muna-ST already filed a complaint with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) against the soldiers.

In an e-mailed statement, Rubi del Mundo, spokesperson of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines-Southern Mindanao, said the 67th Infantry Battalion based in Baganga, Davao Oriental, is actively campaigning against progressive partylist groups and candidates. “Gen. Eduardo del Rosario, 1003rd Infantry Brigade commander, is in his usual red-tagging mode as he lumped Bayan Muna’s [Joel] Virador, [Ariel] Casilao and [Angela] Librado with the revolutionary movement after former Bayan-Southern Mindanao secretary general Alvin Luque declared that he has sought sanctuary with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP),” del Mundo said.

“Palparan is the latest attack dog of the AFP’s 10th Infantry Division, which has been actively campaigning against local candidates and party-lists in Southern Mindanao. It has been maliciously branding the latter as communist fronts while conducting psywar (psychological warfare) operations against the masses during military operations,” del Mundo added, referring to Jovito Palparan, the former general who was allegedly responsible for many of the country’s extrajudicial killings. He has since relocated to Davao City where he continues his campaign of vilification against leftist leaders and activitists.

Role of AFP

Already, the Arroyo government is planning to expand the role of soldiers in the 2010 presidential elections.

Defense chief Norberto Gonzales had earlier said a technical working group has been studying and working on the details of a plan that would put the AFP at the “full disposal” of the Comelec, especially in election hotspots.

The move is “terrifying and very alarming,” according to the Promotion of Church Peoples’ Response (PCPR).

The PCPR said that under the guise of “national security” and “peaceful election” campaign, the AFP deploys troops in opposition- influenced areas, including populated communities in Metro Manila.

The group noted that in the past two national elections, the AFP took “an extraordinary role” in the civilian process. “In 2004, the so-called Garci generals helped in manipulating elections in Mindanao to ensure a million-vote lead for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In 2007, the AFP interfered in the electoral process and paved the way for massive cheating and political violence. The deployment of troops in the urban poor areas in Metro Manila and the result of election in Maguindanao explain the extent of military intervention,” said Nardy Sabino, PCPR secretary-general.

The People’s International Observers Mission reported in 2007 that “strong military presence, intimidation and harassment of voters: the military played an extraordinarily active role in the elections, violating its proper role in a democratic society”.

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