FACT CHECK: Contrary to claim, Makabayan bloc not communist recruiters 

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The post did not cite any proof supporting the allegation. According to the Party-List System Act, the Comelec cannot allow the registration of a party-list group that advocates for 'violence or unlawful means to seek its goal.'

Claim: A Facebook post claims that the alleged communist group Makabayan bloc can no longer recruit youth after they lost the 2025 party-list race.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The post bearing the said claim was posted on May 18, a day before the proclamation of party-list winners for the 2025 midterm elections. It has already gathered an estimated 2,500 reactions, 586 comments, and 355 shares as of writing. 

An unofficial “entertainment” Facebook page named “GEN. Bantag” with 62,000 followers posted the said claim. Gerald Quitaleg Bantag served as director-general of the Bureau of Corrections under former president Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. Bantag is currently at large for his alleged involvement in the murder of broadcaster Percy Lapid in 2022.

The caption on the post says, “Komunista, wala nang mare-recruit na mga kabataan matapos matalo sa eleksyon. Tama lang na matalo kayo (Communists, you can no longer recruit youth after losing the election. It is only right that you lose).”

The facts: The post did not cite any proof supporting the allegation. According to the Party-List System Act, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) cannot allow the registration of a party-list that advocates for “violence or unlawful means to seek its goal.” 

The Makabayan bloc is composed of Bayan Muna, Gabriela, Kabataan, and ACT-Teachers that advocate for the rights of marginalized sectors, including minimum-wage workers, teachers, youth, women, among others. 

In the 2025 elections, only 54 party-list groups were proclaimed winners except for two groups whose proclamations were suspended due to pending petitions. Gabriela fell short in securing a seat in the Congress after placing 55th, while Bayan Muna placed 76th. 

Contrary to the claim in the post, not all party-list groups under the Makabayan bloc lost in the 2025 elections. Kabataan Party-list and ACT-Teachers secured one seat each after placing 41st and 35th, respectively. 

Red-tagging: The Makabayan bloc members have long been denying accusations linking them to communist groups. In November 2023, ACT-Teachers Representative France Castro and former Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas condemned the untruthful lies and red-tagging against former Kabataan Representative Raoul Manuel. 

“Not a single truth was mentioned, only lies against activists were propagated, including trumped-up cases filed by NTF-ELCAC against groups and individuals,” Brosas said during the hearing. 

In 2022, the Comelec junked an appeal of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) accusing Gabriela of being funded by foreign entities. As the Comelec noted, the bank accounts that the NTF-ELCAC requested the commission to investigate were not owned by the said party. 

The Makabayan bloc has also been the main target of deliberate red-tagging during this year’s elections. But this has been going on for a long time, according to Karlos Zarate, the second nominee for Bayan Muna, ever since their party won three seats in 2001. 

Previous fact-checks: Rappler has already fact-checked false claims against the Makabayan bloc: 

• FACT CHECK: Party-list groups under Makabayan bloc are not declared terrorist
• FACT CHECK: Makabayan bloc senatorial slate has not been disqualified 
• FACT CHECK: Bayan Muna party-list group has not been disqualified 
• FACT CHECK: Makabayan bloc leaders not affiliated with CPP-NPA
• FACT CHECK: ACT Teachers party list is not an NDF member 
• FALSE: Makabayan lawmakers are communist guerillas’ urban operatives

– Angelee Kaye Abelinde/Rappler.com

Angelee Kaye Abelinde, a campus journalist from Naga City, is a second-year Journalism student of Bicol University and the current copy editor of The Bicol Universitarian. She is a graduate of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow of Rappler for 2024. 

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