DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / May 8, 2013) – Makabayan Coaltion of progressive party lists condemned the use of smear campaign materials and other forms of black propaganda against their ranks.
Makabayan’s pollwatch group Task Force Pollwatch said it acquired a sample flyer that tags progressive party lists and candidates as members of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
The flyer also used ABS CBN’s Juan Dela Cruz program as the instigator of the smear campaign. In their investigation, underage children were paid P40 to distribute the materials along Elipidio Quirino Avenue and Ilustre Street in Davao City.
“This form of harassment made against progressive party lists and candidates using a prominent station such as the ABS-CBN is a clear case of systematic attacks We also condemn the use of underage children in propagating these materials.”
“It only shows that these children are vulnerable to anything during these final days of the electoral campaign. If they were easily used in this smear campaign, they would also be easily harassed,” Ariel Casilao, regional coordinator of Makabayan Coalition Southern Mindanao, said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
The material makes use of the ABS-CBN’s hit prime time series ‘Juan dela Cruz’ as its header photo and below it is a list of progressive partylists and Makabayan senatorial bet Teddy Casiño. The flyer reads “Wag iboto! Numero ng mga Komunista”
“We encourage ABS-CBN to release an official statement in order to clarify their involvement in the incident. We would also like to ask their help in raising voters’ awareness to not give in to any forms of black propaganda. Instead, voters should look into the track record and platforms of the candidates before election day,” Casilao said.
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