Political Activists Stalked In South RP

DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 13 Mar) – Suspected government agents were reported to have tailed and took photographs of political activists and party list groups allied with the opposition in the southern Philippines.

One party list group, Kabataan, said agents have followed its leaders and members and even took photographs of them in Davao City. Karla Hyasmind Apat, the group’s vice president for Mindanao, reported at least 3 incidents of spying over the past weeks and denounced the harassment on their members.

Apat said three of their coordinators were tailed by a motorcycle man on March 5 in Calinan Poblacion here. And another similar incident was reported March 9 during the funeral of slain activist leader Renato Pacaide in Digos City in Davao del Sur province.

And the latest was on Monday when motorcycle men tailed a student who is a volunteer Kabataan coordinator in downtown Davao City. The man took photographs of the student and followed him up to the office of Kabataan party list group.

All men who tailed the members of the Kabataan used motorcycle without license plates, said Apat. “In the light of the prevailing culture of impunity and the unresolved cases of political killings in the country we cannot just sit on this matter,” Apat said.

The military branded party list groups like Kabataan and Anakpawis, Bayan Muna, Kilusang Mayo Uno and similar organizations as a front of the underground Communist Party of the Philippines and its militant wing, the New People’s Army.

“We are worried with these incidents as we are dealing with lives of our members and our leaders,” Apat said. “They (military) consistently accuse our group of being a communist-front. Because of that tagging, the lives of our members and coordinators are put to grave danger.”

Militant party list groups, which are opposed to President Gloria Arroyo’s rule, have denied all accusations against them and said the military is preventing them from winning the polls. Most of the militant party list groups have been constantly on top of political surveys.

The military denied accusations soldiers were stalking political activists. (Romy Bwaga)