“The bloc in crisis”

February 3, 2025

Once cloaked in the guise of serving the marginalized, the Makabayan bloc now finds its credibility crumbling under the weight of its leadership's questionable actions and controversies.

The recent debates and media engagements aired this past week have laid bare the bloc's true state: in crisis and disarray, their buzz lines contradicting each other. Its senatorial bets scramble to answer even the most basic questions: Why can't you categorically denounce the violence of the armed struggle waged by the CPP-NPA-NDF when you are so quick to condemn the perceived injustices of the state and the alleged abuses of the AFP and the PNP? Why do you insist on holding other officials accountable while dismissing court convictions against your own leaders?

One of their senatorial hopefuls even admitted that Makabayan's goals align with the programs of the CPP-NPA-NDF. He was quick to humanize the NPA for the deaths its armed units have caused, but just as quick to demonize government troops. Indeed, sa bunganga nahuhuli ang isda!

It’s becoming increasingly clear: the Makabayan bloc has shed all pretenses and abandoned pro-people advocacies in favor of carrying out the CPP's Third Rectification campaign to regain lost influence and raise resources to revive the armed struggle.

Their shift from mass-oriented advocacies to self-serving political retribution hasn't gone unnoticed—not just by their critics, but by their own disillusioned members and cadres.

With the government's efforts, the masses themselves in so-called guerrilla zones continue to turn their backs on the bloc. Communities they once expected to deliver "command votes" have driven them away. Stripped of their traditional bases, the Makabayan bloc now scrambles to maintain relevance. Their solution? Collusion for political and material gain, exposing them as being available to the highest bidder. Devoid of any political support from the masses, Makabayan bloc's actions beg the question: who are they really fighting for?

It's time to turn the tables and demand that the bloc’s leaders be held accountable to the people. Their descent into political opportunism and materialistic pursuits unearths a critical truth that their leaders and party-list groups have never really stood for the marginalized. This is not just a betrayal of the masses they claim to champion but also a blow to the integrity of the democratic processes they exploit.

Makabayan’s failure to represent marginalized sectors directly contravenes the intent of the party-list system. Designed to uplift the voiceless, this system becomes a mockery if manipulated by party-list organizations with ties to terrorist groups. This constitutes grounds for disqualification under the Omnibus Election Code.

With the questionable decisions and actions of the Makabayan Bloc, unmasked during televised debates and interviews, its leadership faces a crisis of relevance and integrity. The old guards cling desperately to a violent and duplicitous strategy: using the party-list system as tools to revive armed struggle.

As the elections approach, we call on the younger cadres within their ranks to reject the destructive machinations of the bloc. Disown armed struggle and pursue instead genuine parliamentary engagement. They can do far more to help the marginalized by participating in the democratic process than by being pawns in a futile, violent agenda. The democratic space is wide open and waiting for your robust participation—your opportunity to lead meaningful change is now.

The public continues to recognize Makabayan bloc's true nature—a self-serving entity masquerading as the voice of the voiceless. As the bloc faces a reckoning, the time has come to strip away their mask and demand accountability. The people deserve leaders who uphold genuine advocacy, not those who collude for personal and political gain, or worse, to destroy our democracy from within.

USEC ERNESTO C. TORRES JR.

Executive Director