BAGUIO CITY(April 10, 2025) -- The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is requiring a gubernatorial bet in Nueva Ecija to explain on his remarks on a fellow candidate who is in a hospital because of a chronic disease.
During a campaign sortie on April 3, 2024, Virgilio Bote was quoted saying "Ngayon naman po ay walang katalo-talo ang kalabang mayor ng aking mayor dahil nasa ospital na po ang kalaban namin. Di ko po pinabaril. May sakit po na, ano yun? Ano yung sakit? Bypass kidney stage five cancer. Cancer na rin! Kaya di na po makapangampanya. Kaya po kami nakaluwag."
The COMELEC's Task Force on Safeguarding Against Fear and Exclusion in Elections (Taskforce SAFE) noted the utterance of the said remarks on a facebook post.
According to the taskforce, the remarks of Bote constitute possible violations of the Commission's resolution on the anti-discrimination and campaigning guidelines for the May 12 National and Local Elections (NLE) 2025.
COMELEC considers any discriminatory act, bullying and other insensitive remarks thrown at patients with diseases, persons with disability (PWDs), gender-based harassments, religions, among others an election offense.
It stressed on the matter of public ridicule against PWDs. "In view of the foregoing, you are hereby ordered to show cause in writing within a non-extendible period of three days from receipt hereof and to explain why a complaint for election offense and/or a petition for disqualification be filed against you," the task force stated in the show cause order to Bote dated April l9, 2025.
Failure to comply, the Task Force warned, shall be construed as a waiver of Bote's right to be heard and the filing of the appropriate case against him.
Earlier, the Task Force issued two show cause orders to Pasig City Congressional bet Christian Sia on his remarks against solo parents and misogynistic remarks against his own female staff during his campaign sorties.
