Poll watchdog to Pasig House bet Christian Sia: Just back out

Kontra Daya convenor Danilo Arao (File photo from his Facebook page)

MANILA, Philippines — A poll watchdog on Friday said Pasig City lone district congressional candidate Christian “Ian” Sia should just back out to “save whatever’s left of his dignity.”

Kontra Daya convenor Danilo Arao made this remark after Sia’s remarks offering himself to single mothers, especially “menstruating” ones.

Initially, Sia blamed his opponent’s “machinery” for blowing things out of proportion.

Sia, however, eventually apologized for his joke on Friday, but Arao said it is not enough.

“His half-baked apology will never suffice,” Arao said in a statement. “To claim that it was just a joke is as disappointing as it is idiotic. What kind of candidate in their right mind would crack jokes to make fun of menstruation and solo parenting.”

“His joke about accommodating the ‘sexual needs’ of menstruating single mothers is as inappropriate as it is unfunny,” Arao said. “It reinforces patriarchy by reducing women to mere objects for procreation and pleasure.”

This sentiment was shared by Gabriela Women’s Party, who slammed Sia for what they deemed to be misogynistic remarks.

“Atty. Sia’s lewd misogynist remark trivializes the woes of our solo parents, subjugating them to mere sexual pleasure while sending distasteful tones of machismo,” Gabriela Partylist representative Arlene Brosas said in another statement on Friday.

Brosas added: “Candidates spewing misogynist remarks and normalizing the objectification of women should never have a platform to amplify their distorted values.”

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) anti-discrimination panel also issued a show cause order against Sia for possible violation of its resolution.

Comelec Resolution No. 11116 states that no discrimination shall be acted against marginalized groups like women, along with people that are part of the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual) community, indigenous peoples, persons living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and persons with disability.

READ: DSWD calls out Pasig House bet Ian Sia for joke vs single moms: ‘Not funny’

“He should save whatever’s left of his dignity not just by complying with the Comelec’s show-cause order but also by withdrawing his candidacy now,” Arao said.—Keith Clores, INQUIRER.net trainee