Makabayan candidates decry harassment

CALAPAN CITY — Candidates of the Makabayan Coalition said they will file a complaint before the Commission on Elections over the alleged harassment they encountered while campaigning in a remote village in Pola town by individuals who introduced themselves as village officials.

Makabayan president and senatorial candidate Liza Maza told The Manila Times that they will file a complaint against certain individuals who prevented them from campaigning in Barangay Tagumpay in Pola while their team that includes eight senatorial candidates of the coalition are making rounds in the area speaking with local residents.

"We will definitely file a complaint next week when we return to Metro Manila," said Maza.

"We have videos and photos of the actions of these people who said that they are ordered not to allow candidates to campaign in the area," added Maza. "When we asked them of the copy of an order, they only showed us an unsigned document that supposed to come from local authorities."

The Makabayan Coalition slate went to Oriental Mindoro for a National Solidarity Mission from April 7 to 10 to look into the impacts of environmental degradation, economic neglect and alleged militarization in the province.

Pola is one of the hardest-hit towns by oil spill and was a scene of armed encounters between the military and members of the New People's Army.

Mayor Jennifer "Ina Alegre" Mindanao-Cruz said her office had not issued a notice prohibiting anyone from entering the community to conduct interviews and gather data, or candidates who are campaigning. But she admitted ordering local state agents to heighten security following the armed encounter that happened in February in Barangay Misong.

"Everybody is welcome here in our town," the mayor said.

"We are even promoting our town for tourism, so why will I prevent anybody from visiting us? There is also no truth to the claims that we are preventing campaigning, all political parties are welcome here to campaign. It is, however, my reminder to local officials to be on high alert in view of the encounter in one of our barangay," explained Mindanao-Cruz.