MANILA — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Sunday said that it seeks to  "immediately investigate" claims that a mentally-challenged person was forced to shoot a smear campaign against Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto over his alleged lack of projects for persons with disabilities (PWDs).

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian gave the statement after the PWD's family publicly decried the uploading of the video, saying that it maliciously exploited a mentally-challenged person.

"We will immediately investigate," DSWD Sec. Rex Gatchalian said, noting that using PWDs for politicking may be a violation of R.A. 7610 or the "Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act."

"We will treat that as exploitation and abuse of the person with disability and if proven we will initiate the filling of cases against those persons behind this," he said.

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'TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PWDs'

In a now-viral video uploaded on Facebook, "Mary" — a 57-year old woman who has been diagnosed with psychological disability — said that she will no longer vote for Sotto as she has yet to receive any aid from the incumbent mayor.

"Sana po matulungan kami na makabili ng bigas… Ako po wala pa po akong nakukuha," Mary said in the video uploaded on "The Journal Pasig" Facebook page.

When asked if she would still vote for Sotto in the upcoming elections, Mary answered in the negative and said that she would vote for Sarah Discaya, the opposition candidate in Pasig City's mayoralty race.

After seeing the viral clip, Mary's family asked her about the statements she made on the video.

"Kukuha nga kami ng bigas noon tapos naka pasok na kami, uupo na ako, sabi ko, 'Penge pong stub.' Sabi niya, 'Halika muna dito,'" Mary told her relatives.

"Dinala niya ako sa isang sulok na walang nakakarinig na tao. Sabi ko, 'Hindi ko po alam sasabihin ko, hindi ko po alam gagawin ko. Tinuruan niya ako kung ano ang sasabihin ko," she said.

The PWD's niece, Maliah, cried foul, saying that her aunt simply went to get free rice from a candidate in a neighboring barangay, but was told that she needed to record a video before she could leave.

"Hindi siya aware na ipo-post siya and pinaliwanag ng tita ko na hindi 'yun 'yung totally gusto niyang sabihin… Kumbaga, binabaling, taliwas sa gustong sabihin ng tita ko," Maliah told ABS-CBN News.

"Sobrang dismayado ko kasi maling-mali. Bakit pati 'yung mga PWD? Bakit 'yung mga taong may kahinaan pa 'yung ginagamit nila para manira? Puwede namang tao na lang nila or 'yung mga supporters nila," she said.

"Offensive kasi tini-take advantage yung kahinaan ng isang tao para gamitin sa masama, sa pag endorso sa isang kandidato na hindi sila aware," she added.

Mary's mother, "Anne", is also worried, saying that her daughter has been distressed since the video was uploaded.

"May sakit yan, matagal na 'yang nasa mental yan, buti nga ngayon gumaling na," Anne said.

"Ang kinatatakot ko baka kakaisip niya sa nangyaring yan, baka bumalik na naman siya sa mental," she said.

ABS-CBN News tried to get the side of "The Journal Pasig" but the owner of the page has yet to respond to requests for comment.

The page's history shows that it was created in December 2018 but was named "Pag-ibig house & lot."

Over the years, it was renamed to "Pag-ibig Jaycee Lacorte," "Jaycee Lacorte," and "The Journal PH."

Just last month, it was renamed to "The Journal Pasig."

EXPLOITATION OF PWDs

A screenshot from a video posted on the Facebook page of "The Journal Pasig."

Gatchalian said that the incident falls under R.A. 7610 or the "Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act."

Under the said law, the term "children" includes minors as well as adults who "are unable to fully take care of themselves or protect themselves from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation or discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition."

The law mandates national agencies to protect minors and those with special needs from any form of abuse, including "cruelty or exploitation" and "other conditions prejudicial to the child's development."

Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) Resolution No. 11116 — which outlines anti-discrimination policies during election season — penalizes any form of "coercion" during campaigns or election days.

"Coercion refers to an act imposed on any person… [that may] compel him to do something against his or her will, whether it be right or wrong, which causes undue disadvantage and thereby affecting or tending to affect his or her right to campaign."

Comelec chairman George Garcia earlier announced that he would sponsor a resolution this week to "strengthen" the agency's anti-discrimination guidelines.