Comelec files petition for DQ vs Pasay mayoral bet over racist remarks
Pasay City mayoral candidate Editha Manguera (From the Facebook page of Wowee Manguera)
MANILA, Philippines — A Pasay City mayoral bet is the latest candidate for the May 2025 elections facing a petition after the Commission on Elections (Comelec), through its anti-discrimination panel, filed a disqualification case for reported discriminatory remarks.
The Comelec’s Task Force Safeguarding Against Fear and Elections (Safe) earlier ordered incumbent Councilor Editha Manguerra on why she should not be disqualified from the upcoming elections for her remark on Indian nationals in a campaign activity.
She was quoted to have said the following: “Tanggalin na natin ang bumbay para wala nang amoy sibuyas na naiiwan sa Pasay Gen.”
(Let’s remove all the Bumbay [Filipino term for an Indian national] so there will be no onion-like scent in Pasay Gen.)
READ: Comelec orders Pasay mayoral bet to explain reported racist remarks
The panel believed that Manguerra was referring to foreign students studying and training as interns at the Pasay City General Hospital.
The petition filed on Friday wants to disqualify Manguerra from being a candidate for the position of mayor in Pasay City “pursuant to Section 68 of the Omnibus Election Code [OEC], in relation to the Section 261 (e) of the same Code and Section 13 of Republic Act No. 9006 or the Fair Election Act, as implemented by COMELEC Resolutions Nos. 11116 and 11127.”
Further, it said that Manguerra is “guilty of racial discrimination and incitement which constitutes an election offense under Section 261 (e) and Section 13 of the Fair Election Act, as implemented by COMELEC Resolutions 11116 and 11127.”
It explained that the acts when committed during campaign activities are considered as election offenses as they are deemed to “cause injury, shame, or disadvantage upon a person’s honor as a means to influence electoral behavior.”
It added that the remarks fall under these definitions as she called the Indian nationals as “bumbay” and attributed an “offensive stereotype” (amoy sibuyas or onion-like scent), therefore promoting “racial hostility.”
It also said that as Manguerra called to exclude a group based on their nationality from a public hospital, “she committed an incitement to discrimination as an effort to influence the electoral behavior of constituents by vilifying Indian health workers.”
The petition also wants to suspend Manguerra’s proclamation if she wins in the upcoming elections “as it is patently clear that the evidence for her disqualification is strong.” Lastly, the petition seeks to refer to the law department the election offense aspect of the case.
Manguerra’s defense
The petition also noted Manguerra’s answer to the show cause order filed against her. She said that the remark “was merely an offhand comment made in response to constituents’ concerns regarding the lack of clear communication and cultural familiarity in hospital interactions at the Pasay General Hospital.”
READ: Pasay city mayoral bet apologizes for ‘racist’ remark
She also argued that no election offense must be filed against her under the Comelec Resolution No. 11127 as she made the statement prior to the effectivity of the resolution.
However, the panel said that “the illegality of Respondent’s utterances does not depend on the effectivity of COMELEC Resolution No. 11127 or any implementing resolution for that matter, because the prohibited act was already punishable under existing law, specifically Section 261 (e) of the OEC in relation to Section 13 of the Fair Election Act.”
The Task Force Safe earlier filed a petition for disqualification against Pasig City Congressional bet Christian Sia for his lewd remarks on single mothers and his comment on the physical appearance of his female staff.
Misamis Oriental Governor Peter Unabia is also facing a disqualification petition for his comments on nurses and Moro people.
