Calls for accountability mount over Davao de Oro lawmaker’s sexist jokes

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rapplerAds.displayAd( "mobile-middle-1" );MANILA, Philippines – A women’s rights advocacy group on Thursday, April 10, condemned what it described as sexist and dehumanizing remarks made by Davao de Oro Representative Ruwel Peter Gonzaga, who is seeking the province’s top post in the 2025 elections.The congressman, whose wife is Davao de Oro Governor Dorothy Gonzaga, drew flak after a series of campaign speeches laced with sexual innuendo and offensive comments targeting women were caught on video and circulated online.



The KAISA-KA Women’s Organization called Gonzaga’s remarks “appallingly sexist, vulgar, and dehumanizing.”Must Read Comelec slaps Davao de Oro bet with order over lewd remarks The group’s chairperson, Virgie Suarez-Pinlac, said Gonzaga’s public statements “rife with innuendo, gender discrimination, and sexual objectification of women” have no place in public discourse. “These utterances are not only deeply disrespectful to women, but they also promote a culture that tolerates sexism, machismo, and the trivialization of women’s dignity,” read part of a statement released by the group.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec), through its Task Force Safe, responded to Gonzaga’s behavior and utterances on Tuesday, April 8, by issuing a show cause order against Gonzaga. He was given three days from receipt of the notice to explain why he should not face an election offense complaint or a disqualification petition.According to the task force, Gonzaga made crude, sexual remarks during at least three campaign events.

In one instance, he asked women if they were good in bed; in another, he made a lewd reference to a widow’s genitalia before encouraging her to kiss a barangay councilor. He also publicly told his wife, Governor Gonzaga, to spread her legs.The Comelec task force said such remarks, delivered before laughing crowds, could constitute violations of election rules and reflect a disturbing pattern of campaign rhetoric rooted in machismo and vulgarity.

KAISA-KA lauded the Comelec task force for its quick response but added that the process must not end with the mere issuance of the order. “[We] call on them to pursue appropriate disciplinary action. This must serve as a clear warning to all candidates and public officials: sexism is not a campaign strategy, and misogyny is not leadership,” the group said.

The group also urged voters, particularly women and solo parents, to remain alert and demand accountability from those who abuse their platform. window.rapplerAds.

displayAd( "middle-2" );window.rapplerAds.displayAd( "mobile-middle-2" );“As we approach the 2025 elections, let us elect leaders who respect human dignity, promote gender equality, and embody decency in public service,” it said.

“Women are not punchlines. We are not objects. We are citizens.

We are leaders. And we will not be silenced.”The chair of the House committee on women and gender equality, Bataan 1st District Representative Geraldine Roman, called for mandatory gender-sensitivity training for elected officials.

Roman, the first transgender person elected to the country’s legislature, said she was disheartened by the remarks, which “may have been meant as humor, but came across as objectifying and inappropriate.”“It truly pains me to hear those words — not just as a woman and a public servant, but as a friend..

. He didn’t need to resort to this kind of rhetoric to connect with his audience,” Roman said. “I say this not with judgment, but with hope — that we can all shape a political culture that uplifts rather than diminishes.

”Former senator Leila de Lima also weighed in earlier, calling Gonzaga’s remarks a symptom of deeper problems in politics. “His sexist ‘jokes’ are not merely inappropriate — they are symptomatic of a deeper abuse of power,” she said. “Leadership is not about drawing laughs from a crowd — it’s about drawing the line between right and wrong.

”De Lima called on Gonzaga to publicly apologize even as she urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take action, noting that the congressman is seeking to succeed his wife under Marcos’ Partido Federal ng Pilipinas. – Rappler.

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