CLAIM: According to a press statement from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), party-list group Bayan Muna has been disqualified from the elections due to its affiliation with a communist group.
RATING: False
Why we fact-checked this: Two days before the elections on Saturday, May 10, the Facebook page Terror Watch shared a supposed announcement from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) disqualifying the Bayan Muna party-list group due to its alleged affiliation with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
The post bears the supposed letterhead template of the Comelec, containing the announcement from the poll body’s spokesperson, lawyer John Rex Laudiangco.
“The CPP-NPA has been identified as a terrorist organization by the Anti-Terrorism Council under the ATC Resolution No. 65, dated 27 December 2024,” Terror Watch said.
“Meanwhile, in previous elections, Bayan Muna campaign materials, together with other Makabayan Bloc party-list paraphernalia, were found in an alleged NPA camp,” it added.
As of Sunday, May 11, the post has garnered over 900 reactions and has been shared more than 2,100 times.
The facts: In a statement on Saturday, Comelec debunked claims saying that the Bayan Muna party-list group has not been disqualified.
“Fake news ang kumakalat na press statement na di umano’y galing sa Office of the Comelec Spokesperson patungkol sa pagkakadiskwalipika ng Bayan Muna Party-List para sa May 12, 2025 National and Local Elections,” the Comelec said.
(The circulating press statement supposedly from the Office of the COMELEC Spokesperson regarding the disqualification of the Bayan Muna Party-List for the May 12, 2025, National and Local Elections is fake news.)
The poll body added that the layout and format of the supposed announcement was copied to make it look like it was from them.
“Walang nilabas na resolution ang Commssion on En banc na nag didiskwalipika sa Bayan Muna Party-List ngayong halalan at sila ay opisyal pa rin na kabilang sa listahan ng mga Party-list groups na maaaring iboto sa Lunes,” the Comelec said.
(The Commission En Banc has not issued any resolution disqualifying the Bayan Muna Party-List in this election, so they remain officially included in the list of party-list groups that can be voted on Monday.)
Rappler has also fact-checked a false news item posted on Facebook claiming Bayan Muna’s disqualification. The post mimicked the formatting of Rappler’s official stories and included a fake social media card with a fabricated headline. – Bonz Magsambol/Rappler.com
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.