1 week Ago By Press Release
WOMEN’S alliance Gabriela strongly supports the groundbreaking "Bawal Bastos sa Eleksyon" bill filed Tuesday, April 8, 2025, by Gabriela Women's Party Representative Arlene Brosas. The bill seeks to make misogynistic and discriminatory remarks grounds for disqualification of candidates in local and national elections. "Ang pagsusulong ng 'Bawal Bastos sa Eleksyon' Bill ay matagal nang kailangan.
Dapat nang magpatupad ng reporma sa electoral system nating nagpapahintulot sa mga kandidatong magpalaganap ng mapanghati at mapang-abusong pananalita laban sa kababaihan nang walang karampatang parusa," said Gabriel Secretary-General Clarice Palce, who accompanied Brosas during the filing of the bill. (The push for the 'Bawal Bastos sa Eleksyon' Bill has long been overdue. It's time to implement reforms in our electoral system that currently allows candidates to spread divisive and abusive language against women without facing appropriate consequences.
) The bill comes in direct response to recent incidents of misogynistic behavior in electoral activities, including that which involved Pasig congressional candidate Ian Christian Sia , who faces multiple show cause orders from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for his degrading remarks against women. "When candidates like Ian Sia can make lewd comments about solo mothers and objectify female staff with minimal consequences, it reflects a systemic failure that must be immediately addressed," Palce said. The proposed legislation aims to amend Sections 68 and 261 of the Omnibus Election Code to explicitly prohibit misogynistic behavior by political candidates -- a critical gap in current electoral regulations that has allowed sexist and discriminatory rhetoric to flourish during campaign periods.
"How can we trust officials to create and implement pro-women and pro-people policies when they themselves perpetuate harmful stereotypes and trample on the rights of half the population? We need to establish clear standards of conduct that uphold the dignity of all Filipinos, especially women and LGBTQ+ individuals who have historically been marginalized in political discourse," Palce said. Gabriela called on women voters to use their electoral power to reject misogynist candidates: “Sa darating na halalan, kailangan nating piliin ang mga kandidatong may tunay na paggalang sa kababaihan -- hindi lamang sa salita, kundi higit lalo sa gawa. Maging mapagmatyag at mapanuri ngayong eleksyon! Zero votes for misogynists!” (In the upcoming elections, we must choose candidates who show genuine respect for women — not just in words, but more importantly, in action.
Stay vigilant and discerning this election season! Zero votes for misogynists!) (PR).
