Photo from Peter "Sr. Pedro" Unabia's Facebook page

MANILA (UPDATED) — Women's rights group Gabriela Party-List on Sunday condemned what it said were sexist and discriminatory remarks made by Misamis Oriental Gov. Peter "Senior Pedro" Unabia, who is seeking reelection.

In a now-viral video, Unabia claimed that only "beautiful women" were qualified for nursing scholarships. He explained that male patients' health may get worse if an "ugly" nurse is assigned to care for them.

"This is a gross display of misogyny and discrimination. Ito ay tahasang pambabastos, hindi lang sa mga nars, kundi sa buong hanay ng kababaihan," said Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas in a statement.

(This is blatant disrespect not just of nurses, but of all women)

Unabia's statement not only objectifies nurses but also reduces them to their physical appearance, added Brosas, who is running for a Senate seat.

Brosas stressed that being a nurse depends on one’s skills, knowledge, and empathy and not on physical appearance.

"Hindi physical appearance ng nurses ang problema ng ating health system, kundi ang ‘pangit’ na pamamahala at pagpapabaya ng gobyerno sa kalusugan ng mamamayan," she said.

(The problem in our health system is not the physical appearance of nurses but the truly 'ugly' management and abandonment of the government)

Brosas underscored that election campaigns should focus on pressing social issues, including the challenges faced by nurses.

She then lamented that "some candidates prefer to make offensive jokes and belittle women instead of offering solutions."

COMELEC TO ISSUE SHOW-CAUSE ORDER

The Commission on Elections will be issuing an order for Unabia to explain his remarks, Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia said Sunday.

"Iyan po ay maaaring bukas ay magawa natin 'yung show-cause order na maise-send po sa kanya hanggang Martes," Garcia told ABS-CBN News over the phone.

(We will issue the show-cause order tomorrow and send it to him by Tuesday)

"Asahan niyo may aksyon din ang Comelec sapagkat again, kung ang pag-uusapan ay sexism o 'yung mismong pagdi-discriminate sa kababaihan, kung hindi naman dahil sa relihiyon, 'yan din po ay pinoprotektahan ng atin pong guidelines at resolusyon," he added.

(Rest assured that the Comelec will take action on this because, again, if we are talking about sexism and outright discrimination of women, unless there is a religious aspect, we will protect against that through our guidelines and resolution)

Comelec Resolution No. 11116 prohibits bullying, discrimination and labelling — including red-tagging — during the election period.

'MISOGYNY HAS DEEP ROOTS IN GOVERNMENT'

Christian "Ian" Sia, a congressional candidate in Pasig City, went viral on social media this week for a sexually charged joke about single mothers.

"Minsan sa isang taon, ang mga solo parent na babae na nireregla pa – Nay, malinaw, nireregla pa – at nalulungkot, minsan sa isang taon, puwedeng sumiping ho sa akin," Sia said in the viral video.

(Once a year, any solo parent who still gets her period — let's be clear, those who have not yet reached menopause — and is lonely can sleep with me)

Pasig candidate apologizes for single mom joke, blames uploader of viral video

Sia apologized Friday to those offended by his remark, saying it was only meant to catch the attention of the audience.  

Brosas noted: "Paulit-ulit na nating naririnig ang ganitong mga sexist remarks mula sa ilang kandidato. Nakakalungkot at nakakagalit na sa halip na plataporma, pambabastos ang ibinabandera. Ito ay malinaw na senyales kung gaano kalalim pa rin ang ugat ng misogyny sa ating gobyerno."

(We always hear these kinds of sexist remarks from candidates. It is sad and enraging that instead of platforms, they highlight their vulgarity. This is really a sign that misogyny has deep roots in our government)

For Gabriela party-list 1st nominee Sarah Elago, the Commission on Elections should adopt stronger accountability mechanisms to penalize violators.

Comelec issues show cause order vs. Pasig bet Ian Sia over sex joke about single moms

"It’s about time to review the existing provisions of the Omnibus Election Code and, if necessary, amend them to include provisions that will disqualify candidates who make sexist, discriminatory, and degrading remarks against women and the LGBTQ+ community," she said.