TACLOBAN CITY – Former rebels now organized under the Eastern Visayas Peace Builders and Development Federation have denounced the visit of Makabayan Bloc candidates in the region, accusing them of attempting to gain votes and support for the upcoming May 12, 2025 elections.
Wearing black shirts as a sign of protest, the group held a rally and candle-lighting ceremony at RTR Plaza, Tacloban City’s designated freedom park.
“We’ve observed that because their urban operatives can no longer recruit people, the candidates themselves are now doing the recruitment, going as far as visiting schools,” said federation president Alma Gabin.
Gabin claimed that the Makabayan Bloc, composed of senatorial and party-list candidates, has visited several areas in Eastern Visayas during their three-day campaign swing, including some schools.
“This is very disturbing and alarming for us. Before, they had organizers doing the work, and we would see people supporting them. But now that support has waned, and they are targeting new and young voters directly,” she added.
As a former high-ranking member of the communist underground movement who was recruited during her student years, Gabin warned against allowing these groups to influence young minds and bring them into the armed struggle.
She urged the public to be vigilant and to withhold support from candidates affiliated with the Makabayan Bloc.
“Let us not vote for anyone from this bloc. We must protect our youth and our future from being misled,” Gabin emphasized.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
