Anakbayan-Southern Mindanao

24/08/2026

ANAKBAYAN SOUTHERN MINDANAO FIGHTS BACK AGAINST RED-TAGGING AT USEP

Anakbayan Southern Mindanao vehemently condemns Jam Saguino’s latest red-tagging attack against Anakbayan during an ROTC orientation in the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP) - Obrero Campus on August 22, 2026.

Jam Saguino is a serial red-tagger, an agent of the fascist AFP and a lapdog of corrupt Marcos Jr. Sanguino has repeatedly targeted Anakbayan and other progressive organizations at USEP. Once again, he has used an educational activity to advance Marcos Jr.'s campaign through the AFP and NTF-ELCAC to discredit the people’s movement. He presented himself as an authority on Anakbayan while recycling the same allegations and a single video that have repeatedly been challenged and refuted.

Red-tagging has long served as a tool for suppressing dissent in the Philippines. From Marcos Sr. to Duterte and the present Marcos Jr. administration, successive governments have used it to intimidate critics and progressive organizations. The NTF-ELCAC has further institutionalized the practice through state resources, official platforms, and social media operations.

Red-tagging carries real consequences, exposing individuals and organizations to harassment, surveillance, threats, and violence. The Supreme Court has recognized it as a threat to the rights to life, liberty, and security. The Commission on Human Rights concluded its public inquiry into the practice in March 2025, yet state forces continue to face allegations of red-tagging with little accountability.

The consequences are especially grave in Mindanao. Between 2012 and 2023, at least 134 human rights defenders were reportedly killed among 298 documented victims of extrajudicial killings in the region. Red-tagging cannot be dismissed as harmless rhetoric.

Anakbayan’s record stands against the propaganda of the AFP and NTF-ELCAC. No amount of red-tagging or recycled allegations can erase its history. For decades, Anakbayan has organized young people around wages, education, land reform, national industrialization, and democratic rights. Its members have become activists, educators, artists, human rights defenders, and professionals who continue to serve their communities.
Anakbayan will define itself through its history, work, and members—not through the accusations of state propagandists.

Universities must defend academic freedom, freedom of expression, and students’ right to organize. Classrooms, gyms, orientations, and student activities must never become platforms for state propaganda, red-tagging, or political intimidation. Schools must protect students who question government policies and participate in legitimate political activity. They must foster critical thinking and open discussion, not fear and repression.

The youth are not the enemy. Critical thought is not a crime. Dissent is not a crime. Organizing is not a crime. We will not allow red-tagging to dictate what students can discuss, which organizations they can join, or what causes they can support. We will continue to organize, speak out, and defend the youth’s right to participate in building a just and democratic society.

27/07/2026

Anakbayan Southern Mindanao Region joins the SONA ng Bayan 2027 with other allied orgs to expose the brazen acts of the Marcos administration in the past year and reveal the true state of the nation. One year after his “mahiya naman kayo” remarks, let’s review the shameless acts of his government:

The Marcos administration remains hellbent on pushing through with Pax Silica despite the popular opposition against the imperialist project. Their stated goal for the mega-project of peace and economic progress remains hypocritical due to the proven negative effects of large data centers on the land and the people nearby. It is doubly hypocritical when considering the global fuel crisis caused by the United States and its wars of aggression.

Despite the rampant inflation brought by the crisis, Marcos has focused on prioritizing the profits of oil companies over the people’s living conditions. His government flexed their fake achievement of upper middle income status, meanwhile the day-to-day realities of low wages and high cost of basic goods and services are suffered by the people.

Justice is still elusive for the nation as Marcos' circle continues to evade trial and conviction. Under the administration, corruption charges became a tool for political maneuvering instead of accountability. The president and his allies, like Martin Romualdez, are yet to face charges for their supposed involvement in the billion-peso flood control corruption. When the people demanded accountability, the state’s answer was nothing but violence and repression.

Instead of listening, the state has instead chosen to silence dissenting voices. For the youth, this has come in the form of gutting general education subjects that give them space to question the system and train them to think critically. Where soft power failed, the administration also did not hesitate to use more violent forms such as militarization of the countryside, over-policing in urban protests, and the massacre of activists. This was evident in the attacks on several communities in Mindoro and Negros, and the death of Toboso 19

These shameless acts can only be sanitized and justified when viewed through the lens of our current system. That is why Anakbayan continues its call for the youth to organize and mobilize. The fight for national democracy is the fight for genuine liberation from the lies and domination of the ruling class.

26/07/2026

SHOUTOUT SA MGA KABATAANG DABAWENYO DYAN 🗣

Isa ka tuig na ang milabay sukad miingon si Marcos Jr. og "mahiya naman kayo". Apan gipamatud-an sulod sa miaging lima ka tuig nga si Marcos Jr. dapat ang maulaw sa katawhan!

Sa kasamtangan, nagpabilin ang kalisud sa katawhan diha sa padayong pagtaas sa presyo sa palaliton ug batakang serbisyo. Ang mga kabatan-unan labing apektado sa krisis sa edukasyon nga sa kasamtangan nagpabiling makalangyaw. Angay lamang usab nga singlon ug panubagon si Marcos Jr. nga maoy hari sa korapsyon sa nasud, inubanan ni Sara Duterte nga karon naga-ikyas sa tulubagon niini sa katawhan.

Tataw nga walay nakab-ot na tinuod nga kabag-uhan ilalom rehimen ni Marcos Jr. — SIYA DAPAT ANG MAHIYA! Maong musalmot kita sa SONA ng Bayan karong Hulyo 26, 1:00 PM sa Freedom Park, Davao City! Atong ipalapnag ang panawagang Marcos ug Duterte panubagon!

24/07/2026

SONA 2026 | What Should Be the President's Priorities?

As President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. prepares to deliver his State of the Nation Address, Davao Today asked Filipinos: What are the most urgent issues he should address?

From the rising cost of living and job insecurity to education, healthcare, corruption, human rights and accountability, this series amplifies the voices and expectations of the public as they look to the administration's remaining years in office.

SONA 2026 | What Should Be the President's Priorities?

As President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. prepares to deliver his State of the Nation Address, Davao Today asked Filipinos: What are the most urgent issues he should address?

From the rising cost of living and job insecurity to education, healthcare, corruption, human rights and accountability, this series amplifies the voices and expectations of the public as they look to the administration's remaining years in office.

20/07/2026

DABAWENYO YOUTH FIGHT BACK! Makigbisog alang sa katungod sa edukasyon! Batukan ang korapsyon ug pasismo! Marcos ug Duterte, Panubagon!

DAVAO CITY—A week before the fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., progressive youth organizations led by Anakbayan Southern Mindanao held a press conference to highlight what they call as the genuine state of the nation, unlike what they expect as a whitewashed version to be delivered in the House of Representatives.

“While Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte are in their mansions, millions of Filipinos are grappling with worsening conditions of poverty. In Marcos Jr.’s 5th SONA, the youth of Davao charges him of corruption, fascism and negligence. We carry the gavel of the young people's judgement and convict Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte for the blatant betrayal of public trust.” Fauzhea Guiani, Chairperson of Anakbayan Southern Mindanao asserted.

From flood control projects alone, over ₱1 trillion has been lost due to corruption. Guiani remarked that this is while the number of involuntary hungry Filipino families rose from 2.9 million to 6.5 million or more than double from June 2022 to March 2026 based on the latest data. In Davao region, the minimum wage is pegged at ₱515 to ₱525 which she mentioned cannot keep up with the 8.1% inflation rate in May 2026.

While the Senate is trying Sara Duterte for the four articles of impeachment, Guiani mentioned that this is not enough. “The Filipino people cannot depend on the current impeachment court where bureaucrat capitalists and fellow corrupt officials are trying their accomplices for the corruption and abuse. The Filipino people must actively expose to not only hold Sara Duterte accountable but also Marcos Jr.,and their ilk who actively steals from the Filipino people” Guiani added.

Additionally, from July 2022 to June 2026 there have been 147 cases of extrajudicial killings, 892 illegal or arbitrary arrests, 16 enforced disappearances, 580 forced or fake surrenderees, and thousand of the Filipino people who experienced bombing, indiscriminate firing, forced evacuation, and threats, harassment, & intimidation. “Marcos Jr. is rewarding his hound dogs by giving NTF-Elcac more than ₱8 billion budget and he is satiating himself with the pie of corruption by awarding himself of more than a third of the ₱11.8 billion confidential and intelligence funds, to pacify the Filipino people while playing victim in Congress” Guiani emphasized.

For Guiani, instead of funding faux anti-insurgency programs, the Filipino youth deserves more budget in education as they are confronted with a worsening education crisis that reflects the broader social and political crisis grappling our country. Education is supposed to be a constitutional right, Guiani mentioned, but it remains to be increasingly colonial, commercialized, and a fascist system of education.

Guiani has said that the same cycle persists in the Philippines until the likes of Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte occupy the government. She opined that the people must resist and break the cycle of the rotten system through a national democratic alternative.

“The rotten system brought by imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat capitalism that further puts the Filipino people in abject poverty and misery will only intensify the people’s resolve for their fight for national democracy.” Guani ended.

13/07/2026

ALERT | Today, July 13, 2026 at around noon several red-tagging posters were seen around downtown Davao.

These posters were strategically scattered around major universities in the city and several red-tagging flyers were also seen scattered around the University of Southeastern Philippines - Obrero. The red-tagging materials had a signatory of a group called Davao Youth Alliance Against Terrorism. An organization seemed to materialize out of nowhere, with no known members and zero online presence.

This is not an isolated case. These pattern of attacks is part of the fascist state’s campaign in vilifying people’s partylists, and progressive organizations by labeling them as terrorist which further highlights the culture of sowing fear among people to avoid expressing dissent, as well as the justification of intense surveillance, and harassment.

Institutions like the NTF-ELCAC do not really have the best interest of the Filipino people. They are mere puppets of a reactionary state, whose only purpose is to vilify activists and the institutionalization of red-tagging.

Anakbayan Southern Mindanao Region strongly condemns these attacks and further amplifies our call to abolish NTF-ELCAC. An agency who does nothing but violate our basic human right, put people's lives at risk and further shrink our democratic spaces.

07/07/2026

Yesterday, June 6, 2026, Anakbayan SMR, along with Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-SMR led a protest at Freedom Park in Davao City, calling for the conviction of Sara Duterte as the impeachment trial started. As the trial drags on in the coming weeks, Anakbayan-SMR demands that all corrupt government officials be held accountable and warns the public to stay alert as this impeachment is a test of whether the ruling class can still be made answerable to the people.

Sara Duterte’s case is built on four articles of impeachment of irrefutable evidence of misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery in DepEd, and grave assassination threats against top officials. These patterns of corruption and abuse of power provide solid grounds for conviction. If Duterte is serious about accountability, she must face these charges head-on instead of hiding behind denial, delaying tactics, and political noise.

The trial is also unfolding inside a Senate whose recent political maneuverings and factional divisions have exposed how it can be bent by competing political interests. The hearings could expose the deep-seated issue of bureaucrat capitalism where state institutions are used not to serve public interest, but to protect the ruling class. The Senate impeachment court must likewise answer to the people by not allowing public office to become an arena of political factions competing over state resources and power.

At the same time, Marcos Jr. administration’s failure to decisively confront corruption and flood-control anomalies reveals a regime that tolerates the very conditions in which corrupt officials thrive. He cannot escape accountability for perpetuating a culture of impunity and a political system that allows corruption to persist. It is hypocritical for Marcos Jr. to claim he is leading the call for accountability when he himself stands at the center of a system that has stolen from the people.

Anakbayan SMR demands that the impeachment trial must not become another shelter for the powerful political elites. We call on the youth and the broad Filipino people to closely watch the trial and continue to demand accountability from the Marcos Jr. and Duterte administration.

06/07/2026

Today, July 6, 2026, marks the start of the impeachment trial of impeached Sara Duterte. The articles of impeachment against VP Sara present hard evidence of graft and corruption, bribery and grave betrayal of public trust. While the trial may represent an opportunity for accountability, AB SMR Chairperson Fauzhea Guiani urges the youth and Dabawenyos to remain vigilant as the trial unfolds amid a decaying bureaucratic-capitalist system and factional tensions within government institutions.

The youth must amplify the call for Sara’s conviction, hold every corrupt official accountable, and ultimately oust Marcos Jr., the mastermind behind this corruption.

13/06/2026

In Photos | Anakbayan Southern Mindanao Region alongside other progressive organizations staged a protest yesterday, June 12, 2026 in lieu of the 128th Philippine Independence Day. The youth and people took to the streets to assert that genuine independence remains unattained under a system shackled by imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat capitalism.

As the United States tightens its grip on the country through unequal military agreements, foreign economic domination, and political intervention, millions continue to suffer from soaring prices, low wages, landlessness, and worsening inequality. While the government boasts of economic growth, workers and peasants bear the burden of recurring inflation, privatization, and anti-people policies. At the same time, the Marcos administration deepens military and economic dependence on the United States through expanded military cooperation, foreign intervention in domestic affairs, and policies that prioritize foreign interests over national sovereignty. The increasing presence of US troops, military facilities, and war exercises on Philippine soil exposes the country to greater foreign control and the dangers of being dragged into imperialist conflicts.

In the Davao region, plans to establish an Oil Depot for military use is also being explored. Instead of prioritizing basic social services, and immediate relief in times of crises. More than 2.48 million Dabawenyos are employed, yet a significant portion remain concentrated in low-paying jobs and agricultural work, while tens of thousands remain unemployed or underemployed. Agriculture still accounts for a large share of regional employment, exposing farmers and farm workers to the enduring problems of land monopoly, low farm gate prices, and corporate control of agricultural production.

The persistence of poverty amid economic growth is proof that the roots of the crisis lie not merely in bad governance but in a semicolonial and semifeudal system sustained by imperialist domination, bureaucratic corruption, and feudal exploitation. Independence Day should not be reduced to ceremonial flag-waving, while the ruling elite and political dynasties serve foreign interests and enrich themselves at the expense of the Filipino people.

The struggle for genuine national liberation continues amidst imperialist control, intensified graft and corruption among public officials, and feudal exploitation. We stand in solidarity with workers, peasants, indigenous peoples, women, and all oppressed classes in advancing the people’s movement for a sovereign, democratic, and just Philippines.

09/06/2026

𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗡𝗔𝗡 | Mensahe ng pakikiisa mula kay Amirah "Mek" Lidasan ng Moro-Christian People's Alliance.

Sa gitna ng tumitinding pasismo ng estado, marapat lamang tayong mga kabataan ay patuloy na manindigan at lumaban para sa ating mga karapatan sa lupa, sahod, trabaho, at edukasyon. Hindi tayo magpapatinag sa intimidasyon ng estado, at ang kanilang patuloy na pagpapatahimik sa mamamayang lumalaban.

HANDS OFF FAU GUIANI! HANDS OFF YOUTH ACTIVISTS!