📷 Comelec Chairman George Garcia
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has accused another government agency of “red tagging” it, coinciding with the announcement of a new policy aimed at preventing discrimination and harassment during the upcoming May elections.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia stated that the unnamed agency sent a letter cautioning the poll body against implementing this new policy.
“When we had a draft of the guidelines, maybe they got a wind of it. They sent us a warning. I am using the word ‘warning’ based on the wordings in the letter,” said Garcia.
“When we were reading the letter, we felt like we are the ones being red tagged. We felt offended by the communication that we received from an agency of the government,” he added.
Garcia emphasized that the policy aligns with a Supreme Court ruling, which recognizes such actions as harassment and intimidation.
While he did not disclose the identity of the agency involved in the red-tagging, he provided some clues about it.
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is frequently cited for engaging in red-tagging, having labeled various individuals and groups as communists.
Garcia urged the agency to exercise caution when issuing threats or warnings to the Commission.
Comelec has released Resolution No. 11116, outlining guidelines for anti-discrimination and fair campaigning for the May 2025 elections.
According to the resolution, any form of election-related intimidation and harassment will be treated as an election offense.
The guidelines define “labeling” as the act of categorizing or accusing groups or organizations as ‘vocal dissenters,’ activists, subversive sympathizers, or terrorists without evidence, particularly in relation to election activities.
Additionally, gender-based harassment is described as any unwanted sexual actions or remarks, including transphobic, homophobic, and sexist comments, directed at individuals during any election-related activity, whether in-person or online, in print or broadcast.
The Commission described public ridicule of persons with disabilities (PWDs) as any act that involves mocking, imitating, or showing contempt for individuals with disabilities, whether through written words, spoken language, or actions related to their impairments.
The Comelec stated that violations of rights concerning religious and cultural sites, as well as ceremonies, involve the defacement, removal, or destruction of significant artifacts during the election period, which are crucial for the indigenous cultural communities or peoples in maintaining their cultural heritage.(ZIA LUNA)
