20 January 2016 – the anti-election campaign initiated by Local Autonomous Network (LAN) was hosted by Food Not Bombs (FNB) crew in Baliwag Bulacan. Anarcho punks and FNB volunteers of the said locality conducted series of activities from food preparation, food sharing, inter-action with street children and homeless people. Due to lack of materials, T-shirt printing was cancelled LAN volunteers provided silk screen to the local volunteers for them to continue the activity in their convenient time. While FNB crew was busy distributing food, Mag-isa collective installed its Radyo Kalye facility; host of volunteers from Safehouse Infoshop and street children conducted spontaneous program which effectively catched public’s attention.
After the event at the park, the group proceeded to the venue of anti-election discussion. The ideas, opinions and experience had been tackled were consistent to the discussions in Dasmarinas Cavite last December 20 which hosted by local FNB crew and anarcho punks. Similar discussion also happened in Flying house Infoshop run by Non-Collective (NC) in Cubao, Quezon City last December 27. The said discussions are part of LAN’s anti-election info tour with the objective of popularizing non-participation in the electoral exercise under the regimes of centralize politics uphold by the state.
The participating collectives and individuals believed that election is a tool to control people and communities. Electoral exercise is a form of deception that allows you to choose the lesser evil who will make decisions for you, for your family and community. It gives an impression that you freely choose a leader that represents you and your interests.
The system of representation, consumerism and the desire of the few to control people, community, and natural resources resulted to massive poverty, marginalization, oppression, war and ecological destruction. The anti-election advocates have no illusion to change these life threatening issues overnight. The anti-election campaign initiated mostly by the anarchists and anti-authoritarian activists is strategic approach of raising awareness of the communities, individual and society in general with regard to the evil of electoral processes under the exploitative regime of state and corporations. While campaigning, the activists are continuously adapting and improving alternative social relations based on mutual-cooperation, respect and ecological life-ways.
(Mag-Isa collective – Waging PANGGAYAW against corporate and church institutions through public dialogue)