A bill seeking to disqualify candidates who will make sexist and insulting comments during their campaign has been proposed in the House of Representatives.
House Bill 11498 aims “to ensure that those who aspire to lead the country do not use platforms of power to perpetuate discrimination, but instead uphold the principles of equality. inclusivity, and human dignity.”
“Ang mga bastos at mapanghamak na pananalita laban sa kababaihan ay hindi dapat maging kalakaran sa ating pulitika. Dapat may pananagutan ang mga kandidatong gumagamit ng plataporma upang magpalaganap ng diskriminasyon, lalo na sa kababaihan at LGBTQ,” said the bill’s author, Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas.
(Comments that are disrespectful and belittling to women are unacceptable. Candidates should be accountable for making such discriminatory comments, especially against women and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer community.)
“This bill is not only a legal measure but a statement that women’s dignity is non-negotiable in our political landscape. We are sending a clear message that sexist remarks, objectification, and discriminatory behavior have no place in democratic discourse,” she added.
The bill was filed after some candidates for Eleksyon 2025 were called out for making misogynistic remarks during their campaign sorties.
Among them is Pasig congressional candidate Christian Sia who now has two show cause orders from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and one from the Supreme Court after his supposed “joke” about single mothers and his remark about his female staff.
Sia has defended his remark on single moms, saying that it was “only a joke.”
“Sana po sa mga kapwa ko Pasigueño, ang biro ay manatiling biro. Hindi po ba? At ang seryosong bagay, wag mo haluan ng biro,” Sia said.
(I hope that for my fellow Pasigueños, a joke remains a joke. Right? And for serious matters, don’t mix them with jokes.)
There’s also Misamis Oriental Governor Peter Unabia who also got a show cause order from Comelec after saying that nursing scholarships should only be for beautiful women during a campaign rally.
“Misogynistic acts and remarks by public figures, especially those aspiring for public office, erode the values of respect, equality, and dignity upon which a just and democratic society must stand,” the bill reads.
“Such behavior and remarks not only normalize discrimination against women but also trivialize the plight and status of women in Philippine society – reducing women to mere objects of pleasure or material for sick and distorted entertainment,” it added.
Brosas’ proposed measure amends Sections 68 and 261 of the Omnibus Election Code which do not explicitly prohibit misogynistic behavior by political candidates.
Gabriela party-list first nominee Sarah Elago, for her part, said such measures penalizing candidates making misogynistic remarks will be Gabriela party-list’s priority legislation for next Congress.
“We are hoping for a solid support on this measure. Sa bawat babaeng sinabihang manahimik na lang, sa lahat ng kababaihang binastos: Sama-sama nating labanan ang abuso at panagutin ang mga abusadong kandidato,” Elago added.
(This is for every woman who was disrespected. We will fight abuse and hold those abusive candidates accountable.) —VAL, GMA Integrated News
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