Sexism on the campaign trail: Can COMELEC’s rules rein in misogynistic candidates?

SEXISM AND outright misogynism have shown up the lack of reform in the campaign discourse for May 2025 elections, prompting urgent calls to check the trend and to hold politicians accountable. 

The media did well in noting the pattern of offenses and in spotlighting how the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has responded to this surge in gender-based verbal attacks. Several reports pointed to COMELEC Resolution No. 10730 and, more recently, Resolution No. 11116—measures designed to sustain an environment of awareness, sensitivity and respect for gender. 

Resolution 11116, in particular, reiterates the electoral ban on gender-based discrimination and harassment under the Safe Spaces Act. While this resolution is increasingly cited in media coverage, reports have never followed up on specific penalties for offenses nor for mechanisms for effective enforcement. 

A Surge in Sexist Rhetoric

Recent reports have documented incidents of candidates slipping into gender-based slurs and derogatory comments, casually playing to the crowds, seemingly oblivious of the rules set for correct speech as they court voters to their side. The offenses pass with little notice from authorities, leaving the media to safeguard the ethical standards that have been set to counter the culture of discrimination and harassment against women and LGBTQ. The slippage suggests the decline in the enforcement of these standards and the seeming failure to break down the mindset that continues to dominate the political arena. 

Some recent cases are:

• Christian Sia (Pasig Congressional Candidate)
  
  During a campaign rally in Barangay Pinagbuhatan, Sia made sexually suggestive remarks towards single mothers, jokingly offering them the opportunity to sleep with him once a year. The comments were widely condemned by various groups and led to a show-cause order from the COMELEC. Sia later apologized but blamed the uploader of the video for the backlash which had simply recorded his offense, the apology seeming pointless.
  
  Further, while campaigning in Barangay Sagad, Sia made a body-shaming comment about a former female staff member, leading to a second show-cause order from COMELEC citing potential violations of anti-discrimination and fair campaigning guidelines.
  
  
• Peter Unabia (Misamis Oriental Governor)
  
  During a campaign rally, Unabia made remarks linking Muslims to crime and violence, warning that if his ticket did not win, the predominantly Catholic province might be dominated by Maranaos, leading to security instability. Muslim groups were quick to condemn the remarks as hate speech. 
  
  In another rally, Unabia joked that the province’s nursing scholarship program was only for “beautiful women,” implying that unattractive nurses could worsen a patient’s condition. Gabriela Women’s Party condemned the joke as misogynistic while COMELEC issued a show-cause order requiring Unabia to explain why he should not be charged with an election offense or disqualification.
  
  
• Lray Villafuerte (Camarines Sur Gubernatorial Candidate)
  
  A video resurfaced showing Villafuerte using sexually suggestive pickup lines during a campaign event. He defended the remarks, stating that such lines had been a long-standing practice since 2010. The incident drew criticism for perpetuating sexist behavior in political campaigns.
  
  
• Jay Manalo Ilagan (Batangas Gubernatorial Candidate)
  
  Ilagan, the vice mayor of Mataas na Kahoy, Batangas, made ageist comments against veteran actress and former governor Vilma Santos, his political rival. He referred to Santos as “laos” (washed-up) and suggested that her supporters were aging and less active. COMELEC issued a show-cause order requiring Ilagan to explain why he should not face disqualification or election offense charges.
  
  
• Ruwel Peter Gonzaga (Davao de Oro 2nd District Representative and Gubernatorial Candidate)
  
  The COMELEC issued a show-cause order against Davao de Oro 2nd District Representative Ruwel Peter Gonzaga, who is running for governor of his province. On social media, COMELEC found videos of separate incidents with him talking about men versus women’s performance in bed, and ordering a woman to stand before a crowd with a certain kagawad (barangay councilor) and asking them to kiss.
  
  At yet another event, Gonzaga told “Dotdot” to spread her legs — “Dotdot” being his wife, Davao de Oro Governor Dorothy “Dotdot” Gonzaga.
  

Key Provisions of COMELEC Resolution 11116

In response to increasing incidents of gender-based offenses during the campaign period, COMELEC has taken a proactive stance to promote inclusive and respectful political discourse. On April 18, COMELEC promulgated Resolution No. 11127, which supplements the earlier Resolution No. 11116. These measures affirm COMELEC’s commitment to designating all election-related activities and venues as “safe spaces,” in line with the Safe Spaces Act.

Resolution No. 11116, effective from January 12 to June 11, 2025, classifies various discriminatory acts—including bullying, coercion, red-tagging, sexist remarks, and harassment based on gender, disability, or sexual orientation—as election offenses. The resolution draws upon existing laws such as the Magna Carta for Women, the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities, and the Safe Spaces Act, extending their protections into the electoral context. It explicitly prohibits not only discriminatory actions by candidates but also by their supporters, mandating accountability for misconduct throughout the campaign period.

These guidelines aim to create a safe and inclusive environment that upholds human dignity and ensures equal participation in the democratic process. In doing so, COMELEC underscores that misogynistic, prejudiced, or intimidating behavior has no place in a free and fair election.

Violations of Resolution No. 11116 are subject to penalties under Section 264 of the Omnibus Election Code. Offenders may face imprisonment ranging from one to six years without the benefit of probation, along with disqualification from holding public office and the loss of voting rights. Foreign nationals found guilty of election offenses are also subject to deportation after serving their sentence.

COMELEC Task Force on Safeguarding Against Fear and Exclusion (SAFE) spearheads the  implementation of Resolution No. 11116 and is responsible for issuing show cause orders, requiring candidates who engage in discriminatory behavior to explain why they should not face disqualification or prosecution under election laws. In a Rappler article, Michelle Abad highlighted how the task force works, identifying the officers responsible for enforcement. 

Unfortunately, Task Force SAFE operates without a dedicated team and is led by the Internal Audit Office head, Director Sonia Bea Wee-Lozada, as an additional duty. The task force relies on personnel temporarily “borrowed” from other departments, such as the Law, Education, and Information Departments, and commissioners’ offices, and currently consists of only around 10 members. Despite limited resources, they handle all reported forms of election-related discrimination. The team monitors social media, verifies incidents, and issues show cause orders, many of which are initiated by concerned citizens. They also depend on media reports and even internal translators to assess potentially discriminatory remarks, especially those made in local languages during campaign events.

Clearly, the situation calls for public vigilance, a force that requires the media to provide the necessary information about offenses and offenders. 

While COMELEC’s recent resolutions and the active work of Task Force SAFE represent a crucial institutional response to growing misogyny in political discourse, these efforts must go beyond issuing show cause orders. The repeated violations show that existing penalties are either not understood and appreciated by candidates and their campaign handlers, or not feared enough by candidates. 

Dangerous Normalization

Media as an institution and community must prove itself capable of keeping tabs of offenses, holding candidates accountable and helping voters to examine candidates on the issues of sexism. Without sustained public pressure and legal follow-through, the reforms risk being symbolic gestures in a culture where politicians can still win votes, despite the display of deeply ingrained misogyny. 

The blatant sexism and misogyny exposed during the 2025 campaign season reveal not only the inadequacy of reforms but also the dangerous normalization of discriminatory behavior in Philippine politics. Despite the passage of COMELEC Resolutions No. 10730 and 11116, enforcement remains weak, and accountability is sporadic at best. Worse, the incidents documented by the media and addressed by Task Force SAFE likely represent only a small fraction of a far larger and more insidious problem. Countless cases of gender-based harassment and discrimination go unreported, allowing a toxic culture to thrive unchecked and reinforcing the idea that misogyny is an acceptable part of political campaigning.

Without real consequences for offenders — not just show-cause orders but firm, public sanctions — and without relentless pressure from both media and voters, these reforms will remain empty gestures. Combating the deeply rooted culture of sexism demands more than rules; it demands a political and social reckoning that forces candidates and institutions alike to treat misogyny as an intolerable offense, not just a public relations issue.