After Pasig bet, Misamis pol may also hear from Comelec
After a Pasig congressional bet, another politician, this time from Mindanao, has come under fire for making misogynistic remarks during a campaign sortie.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is expected to issue a show cause order against Misamis Oriental Gov. Peter Unabia over sexist remarks he made about the nursing profession.
Unabia, who is seeking a second term in the May polls, said his administration’s scholarship program for nursing students was only for “beautiful women” because unattractive ones could worsen a patient’s medical condition.
“Kining nursing [scholarship], para ra ni sa mga babaye, dili pwede ang lalaki. And, kato pa gyud mga babaye nga gwapa (The nursing scholarship is only for women, not for men. And only for beautiful women),” Unabia said during a campaign rally in Villanueva town on Thursday.
“Dili man pwede ang maot, kay kung luya na ang mga lalaki, atubangon sa pangit nga nurse, naunsa naman, mosamot atong sakit ana (It is no-no for the unattractive because if a male [patient] who is already weak is attended to by an ugly nurse, what would happen to them? Their illness could get worse),” he added.
Youth advocate Cyrus Arado-Ubay Valcueba posted a video of Unabia’s remarks on social media, which has since gone viral.
Campaign safe spaces
“It’s so sad to think that our current leader is a sexist and racist,” Valcueba wrote. “Imagine, there’s a nursing scholarship in the province but you can’t avail of it if you don’t meet the governor’s standards.”
Comelec Chair George Garcia said the poll body will issue a show cause order against Unabia, like it did against Pasig congressional candidate Christian Sia, who made a sexually charged remark about single mothers.
“Sexist remarks and gender discrimination have no place in a civilized society, more so in a political campaign. We will not stop issuing show cause orders until somebody is punished,” Garcia told reporters via Viber.
“I will sponsor next week a resolution for en banc consideration declaring campaign rallies, caucuses, polling places, precincts and canvassing centers and online election platforms as safe spaces to strengthen our antidiscrimination guidelines,” he added.
Comelec Resolution No. 11116, issued on Feb. 19, prescribes antidiscrimination and fair campaigning guidelines for the May 12 elections.
It prohibits, among others, gender-based harassment, such as misogynistic and sexist slurs, as well as sexual jokes during any election-related activity, including campaigns.
Violations are treated as an election offense, which is punishable by imprisonment up to six years without probation, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, and deprivation of the right to vote.
On top of his sexist remarks, Unabia made an anti-Moro pitch, a veiled one for his son, Christian, who is seeking reelection as congressman. Christian’s rival is a candidate who is married to a Maranao politician.
Unabia suggested that if his son’s opponent wins, the Maranaos would dominate Misamis Oriental and the province and Cagayan de Oro City could suffer from security instability just like the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
His scare tactic was backed by photos flashed on a giant screen, such as the aftermath of the bombing of Jolo cathedral in January 2019 and the bombing of the Mindanao State University gym while Holy Mass was celebrated in December 2023.
“Mosugot mo ani? (Do you want these [to happen here]? Unabia asked the crowd.
‘Deeply concerning’
Carlos Conde, senior Philippines researcher for Human Rights Watch, called Unabia’s remarks “deeply concerning.”
“Gov. Unabia’s anti-Muslim rhetoric is deeply concerning. He knows the real struggle by Mindanawons to keep harmony in a region that has been driven by conflict,” Conde told the Inquirer.
On Saturday, Unabia issued a statement claiming that the video circulating online was a “distorted version.” He also said he did not mean to disrespect Maranaos.
However, he has not taken back his sexist remarks.
