Maza: Filipino masses unmindful of progressive group red-tagging

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Filipino masses are unmindful of the red-tagging of progressive groups and can look beyond that to appreciate their advocacies, former lawmaker and senatorial candidate Liza Maza said.

During the NewsWatch Plus election roundtable “Ang Kandidato,” Maza said her Senate slate, the progressive Makabayan coalition, continues to encounter red-tagging by state forces which endangers their lives.

She said the masses are unfazed by the political noise.

"Pagdating na sa paglapat namin du'n mismo sa masa – du'n mismo sa mga drivers, manggagawa – kaagad wala nang epekto 'yun kasi sinasabi nila, ‘Tama 'yung adbokasiya n'yo. Tama 'yung programa n'yo. Tama na ito ang kailangan,’” Maza said, sharing her experience from the campaign trail.

[Translation: When we go to the masses – to the drivers and laborers – the red-tagging has no effect on them. They say, “Your advocacies and programs are right. This is what we need.”]

“They don't mind all this negative propaganda against us, against the leftist, against the progressives, against the activists, because they know that we are really articulating their issue and really ready to fight. Handa talaga kaming ipaglaban 'yung kanilang mga karapatan [We are really ready to fight for their rights],” she said.

The Makabayan coalition has asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to investigate the supposed negative campaigning, disinformation, and abuse amid their campaign for the midterm polls.

Bayan Muna, a party-list group under Makabayan, also asked the Comelec to take down posters containing black propaganda.

In February, the poll body included labeling individuals and groups as vocal dissenters, activists, terrorists, subversive group sympathizers, or belonging to a criminal group without evidence as an election offense.