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Cristina Chi - Philstar.com
April 4, 2025 | 12:09pm
MANILA, Philippines — Pasig City congressional candidate Christian Sia has been given 72 hours to explain why he should not face election offense charges over his controversial remarks about offering to sleep with female solo parents during a recent campaign event.
The Commission on Elections' Task Force SAFE issued a show cause order against Sia on Friday, April 4, citing his remarks at his party's caucus:
Ito ang ambag ko sa mga solo parent ng Pasig. Minsan sa isang taon, ang mga solo parent na babae na nireregla pa at nalulungkot... pwedeng sumiping ho sa akin. 'Yun hong interesado magpalista na sa mesa sa gilid.
Sia is running for Pasig City district representative under the banner of mayoral aspirant Sarah Discaya.
Philstar.com has reached out to the congressional aspirant for comment and will update this article with his response.
Sia's statement potentially violates Comelec Resolution 11116's Anti-Discrimination and Fair Campaigning Guidelines, which explicitly prohibit gender-based harassment during elections, according to the order.
The Comelec cited Republic Act No. 7277 (Magna Carta of Women) and Republic Act 11313 (Safe Spaces Act) in defining discrimination against women as "any gender-based distinction, exclusion, or restriction which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment, or exercise by women" of their fundamental rights.
The order specifically highlighted that gender-based harassment includes "unwanted and uninvited sexual actions or remarks against any person regardless of the motive," among other actions.
Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian condemned Sia's remarks in an X post Thursday night (April 3).
"Using our vulnerable, poor and marginalized sectors as butt of jokes is not the way to go... Solo parents are real life heroes who put food on the table against all odds. They raise their kids alone through sheer sacrifice," the DSWD chief said.
"... As DSWD Sec. I simply do not find this funny," he added.
Gabriela Party-list also slammed Sia's comments, with Rep. Arlene Brosas calling it a "lewd misogynist remark" that "trivializes the woes of our solo parents, subjugating them to mere sexual pleasure while sending distasteful tones of machismo."
Brosas, a senatorial candidate, suggested Sia deserves disqualification and potential disbarment for "grossly immoral conduct."
Redd de Guzman, secretary-general of the National Council for Solo Parents, Inc. and third nominee of Bagong Henerasyon Party-list, called Sia's remarks completely unacceptable.
"Solo parents already carry the heavy burden of raising their children on their own. The last thing they deserve is to be ridiculed or used as the punchline of distasteful jokes just to earn votes," de Guzman said.
Sia has since defended his remarks and insisted they were merely in jest.
"Sa mga kapwa ko Pasigueño, ang biro ay manatili hong biro. At ang seryosong bagay, huwag mong haluan ng biro (To my fellow Pasigueños, a joke should remain a joke. And a serious matter, do not mix it with a joke)," Sia said, according to a video by the Daily Tribune.
The Comelec warns that failure to submit a written explanation within the non-extendible three-day period will be considered a waiver of Sia's right to be heard.
The plight of solo parents in the Philippines
There are an estimated 14 to 15 million solo parents in the Philippines, according to a World Health Organization-funded study conducted by the Department of Health and the University of the Philippines (UP) - National Institutes of Health.
Research from UP Manila and Los Baños published in 2023 revealed the complex struggles faced by this vulnerable sector. Through focus group discussions, the researchers found that solo mothers frequently experience depression, isolation, and diminished mental health while juggling financial challenges and childcare responsibilities.
Many solo mothers reported feeling lonely and lacking confidence — emotional burdens compounded by economic instability.
The research noted that while family support remains crucial for solo parents' survival, additional support from schools, churches, and government institutions is necessary to break cycles of hardship that can impact the parents and their children.
