KARAPATAN assailed the surveillance by a suspected state agent of the Makabayan-Negros and Bayan Muna-Bacolod mid-term elections kick-off caravan last February 11, 2024.
According to witnesses, the alleged intelligence agent, who wore dark glasses and a hoodie and was riding a motorcycle, tailed the caravan and kept asking the participants what route the caravan would be taking. He later joined the caravan, and was even given Bayan Muna campaign materials out of courtesy.
The alleged agent then approached Bayan Muna-Bacolod coordinator Nori Saldavia to ask for money, purportedly for fare back to his home province of Negros Oriental. Saldavia refused, saying they themselves were short of funds. The alleged intelligence operative then berated Saldavia and his group for “refusing to help” and instead asked for Bayan Muna’s office address.
Much later, when confronted by another caravan participant, the alleged agent ran off and abandoned his motorcycle. Upon inspection, there were wigs inside the motorcycle’s utility box, presumably for the agent’s disguise. The vehicle had no plate number and there was a mismatch between the name written on the Official Receipt/Certificate of Registration of the vehicle and the identity of the alleged agent, all usual telltale signs of state security forces’ involvement.
The incident was reported to the police, who advised against filing a complaint because “no altercation occurred.”
“The police’s dismissive attitude discounts the fact that the intelligence agent was an intimidating presence at the caravan,” said KARAPATAN secretary general Cristina Palabay. “The alleged intelligence agent’s attempt to extort money and later berate the campaigners for not giving in to his demand was actually an attempt to disrupt or sabotage the caravan,” she added. “The campaigners’ discipline and self-restraint prevented the incident from escalating.”
“We urge the Commission on Elections to seriously look into, and take action on, this and other attempts by state forces to create disturbances in the campaign activities of progressive candidates,” concluded Palabay.