Amid waves of electoral violence, Toruk Makto continues to fight for the truth while wrestling with his traumatic experience.
WITHIN THE rural communities of Mindanao, political dynasties are entrenched in an ongoing power struggle. Behind the facade of tarpaulins and campaign slogans lie ever-present threats intensifying during election season. Those who refuse to keep their heads low risk being gunned down in the streets.
Toruk Makto*, who asked for anonymity for security reasons, has spent most of his life in this politically charged environment, all while fighting for land reform. For him, violence has been a constant presence, and with it, a persistent battle with trauma.
As another election looms, families who have been scarred by electoral violence are once again demanding justice as the wounds of a bloodstained democracy continue to linger.
The price of participation
Electoral politics is rife with people who maintain power through violence, contracting hitmen and private armed groups to assert their personal agendas. Hotspots where danger runs rampant are monitored during election season—with “red areas” being the most perilous.
While electoral violence chooses no one—targeting a broad spectrum of individuals like poll workers, media persons, and political rivals—its impact cuts deeper when families and communities are caught in the crossfire.
Makto recalls when a relative supporting the opposition was jailed by the town’s current leaders. Fearful that he and his family were the next targets, they decided to lie low.
Even after relocating to the city, fear followed them. On some nights, a motorcycle rider would scout around their home, targeting their father, who was close to the arrested relative. Makto argued that the move was politically motivated, especially since the authorities often go the extra mile to silence dissent as elections draw near.
For Legal Network for Truthful Elections Executive Director Atty. Ona Caritos, politicians often weaponize their resources and use intimidation to maintain their power over a locality.
“Election-related violence goes into the very core of our right of suffrage. A standard when we exercise our right of suffrage is for us to vote freely without fear of intimidation, harassment, or discrimination,” she explains.
Caritos adds that these threats are not just political—they target the personal, instilling fear in families and shaping how entire communities experience elections.
Scars left behind
Beyond this harrowing experience, what haunts Toruk Makto most are the lasting aftermaths. “I feel suppressed because I’m caught between doing what is right and the things that can put my family in danger,” he laments.
His relative’s arrest left Makto and his family on edge, constantly feeling watched and trapped in anxiety. Though the unease lessened over time, the threat never fully disappeared.
Such intimidation is not unique to them. His entire community endures the same pattern of harassment, as the same politicians have persistently ruled over their province year after year through ruthless election tactics.
Aside from violence, land ownership issues have long been controversial in his locality. Toruk Makto says their village rightfully belongs to its people, yet authorities deny them legal recognition—leaving many of its members, especially farmers, in limbo as they struggle to make a living. These social injustices, as Claritos points out, are deeply connected to electoral violence.
To stand their ground, Makto’s family supported a coalition fighting for land rights, yet the threats remained constant. He shared how one of their members, who ran for local office, nearly met the same fate as his then-imprisoned relative. However, instead of retreating in fear, the family doubled down, offering their support in every way they could.
Breaking the bloodshed
While Toruk Makto’s struggle is far from over, he holds on to hope. “Magpapatuloy ang kilusan (The movement will continue),” he proclaims, gathering strength amid the uncertainties.
In this upcoming election, he urges Filipinos to speak out against injustice and fight for the truth. Caritos echoes this call, saying one reason why electoral violence persists is impunity. “Politicians feel that they won’t be held accountable. It is advised to document, take pictures or videos of these instances and report it to COMELEC,” she notes.
Makto understands there is fear, but he believes in the power of collective movement. “The power you try to cage is the same power that can free the people. Tell your story, it can create discourse. You want that discourse to be on the table because it can invite people to fight with you,” he asserts.
As waves of electoral violence continue, Toruk Makto remains resolute: he will never be silenced. In this unwavering resolve, he becomes a voice of resistance—proving that even in fear, truth and solidarity can ignite change no oppression can ever erase.
*Editor’s Note: The interviewee’s name has been withheld upon their request to protect their identity and privacy.
