Comelec disqualifies Pasig bet Ian Sia over discriminatory remarks

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 6:17 p.m.) —  Pasig congressional candidate Ian Sia was disqualified by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Second Division due to discriminatory remarks made during his campaign sorties.

In a resolution sent to reporters on Thursday, May 8, the poll body granted the disqualification petition filed by the Comelec task force SAFE, saying that Sia’s remarks caused “injury or disadvantage to a person’s honor or reputation in the context of the electoral process.”

“The Respondent's public remarks, laden with sexist, objectifying, and demeaning language, did not merely reflect poor judgment. They revealed a troubling lack of respect for human dignity and a serious disregard for the standards of decency and ethical conduct expected of anyone seeking public office,” the Comelec said.

“These were not isolated slips of the tongue, they were deliberate, public statements made during official campaign activities that caused injury to the honor and emotional well-being of specific individuals, particularly women,” it added.

Sia is vying for a seat in the House of Representatives for the lone district of Pasig, but the poll body has disqualified him from the race.

If he secures the highest number of votes, his proclamation as the winning candidate will be suspended pending the final resolution of the case.

On April 3, the women’s rights group Gabriela filed a petition with the Supreme Court, urging disciplinary action against Sia, a lawyer, over his remarks about solo parents.

What happened. The case stemmed from the remarks made by Sia during his campaign sorties, which prompted the task force SAFE to issue a summons against Sia twice. 

The first summons was due to his remarks against solo parents on April 3, saying that they should sleep with him. He later clarified that it was a joke. 

On April 8, the task force issued another show-cause order over Sia's comments about the appearance of his assistant during a separate campaign sortie.

In a statement, Sia said that procedural due process was not observed by the poll body as he did not receive a copy of the petition for disqualification.

He also said that the poll body's decision is wrong.

"Mali po ang desisyon and Comelec knows it kaya may colatilla ang desisyon nila na if I win, they will suspend the proclamation until the disqualification case is finally resolved," Sia said.

(The decision is wrong, and the Comelec knows it, which is why their decision includes a qualification that if I win, they will suspend the proclamation until the disqualification case is finally resolved.)

RELATED: Supreme Court urged to impose sanctions on Pasig congressional bet over solo parent 'joke