The Makabayan Coalition condemned the successive suspensions or removal last week by Meta and X (Twitter) of various social pages of its senatorial candidates, partylist members and supporters. The group sees this as a coordinated attack on its online presence and that of its supporters months before the 2025 election season begins.

Makabayan announced fielding 10 senatorial candidates on August 26. It said its candidates aim to challenge the election dominated by reactionary factions. The call appeared successively on Facebook, Instagram, X and other online platforms of the coalition: Taumbayan sa Senado!

Among those suspended and removed are the Instagram and Facebook pages of peasant-leader Danilo Ramos (Ka Daning) and fisherfolk-leader Ronnel Arambulo. Like other Makabayan candidates, Ramos and Arambulo were warmly received by the people on social media. Both their posts have remarkably received many likes, shares and comments of support in recent weeks.

Before this, the Facebook page of Bayan Muna-Mindanao was also suspended for several days. X also removed the account of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), an allied organization of the Makabayan Coalition.

“The suspension of these accounts coincides with a spike in troll activities aimed against Makabayan representatives in congress and their supporters,” the coalition said. This is related to the non-stop exposures and scrutiny by members of the Makabayan Bloc in congress on the budget proposal for 2025 of the Marcos regime.

In recent weeks, ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro and Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas, both coalition senatorial candidates, and Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel conducted extensive exposure of the corruption, financing of fascism and finance squandering by Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Sara Duterte, especially their spending of “confidential and intelligence funds” and “unprogrammed expenses.”

“These actions are very worrisome as these go against freedom of expression and freedom of association,” the Koalisyong Makabayan said. It said this attack has even intensified by the fact that it has been repeatedly experienced by progressive parties and organizations in recent years.

The coalition believes that this may be a preview of things to come during the height of the election and campaign. Amid all this, the coalition called on advocates of freedom of expression to stand up against cyber-attacks or attacks online.

They are currently pushing to have these accounts restored while taking a stand against the silencing of progressive voices like theirs.