Muslims hit Misamis Oriental governor for ‘hate speech’ during rally

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Misamis Oriental Governor Peter Unabia’s remarks, streamed live on Facebook, trigger accusations that he is perpetuating harmful stereotypes and using fear to bolster his campaign

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Muslim groups and students have criticized Misamis Oriental Governor Peter Unabia after he warned voters against supporting local candidates allegedly connected to Marawi City and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), suggesting ties to criminality and violence.

The backlash stemmed from a campaign rally in Balingoan town, where Unabia, seeking reelection, showed photos of ambushes and attacks in BARMM and asked voters if they wanted similar incidents in their province. 

His son Christian, seeking reelection as representative of Misamis Oriental’s 1st District, is facing lawyer Karen Lagbas who is said to be related to a Meranaw politician. Lagbas has not openly spoken about this.

During a rally, Unabia cited past anti-illegal drug operations in the region and referred to an alleged harassment incident in Gingoog City in the previous election, attributing it to Meranaws.

Unabia’s remarks, streamed live on Facebook triggered accusations that he was perpetuating harmful stereotypes and using fear to bolster his campaign.

“Muslims are not terrorists,” said a group of Muslim students from Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan. 

The group, Siraj-Muslim Religious Organization, issued a statement denouncing “any rhetoric that spreads fear and promotes division in society,” and called on public officials to weigh the impact of their words.

The student group also criticized Unabia for mentioning areas in Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental with no “Christians” living there, saying many of their members reside in those communities.

“These statements not only affect the general public’s perception but also put law-abiding citizens and specifically Muslim studentry at risk of prejudice and exclusion simply because of their faith and place of residence,” the group said.

Unabia has since issued a statement denying any intent to malign the Meranaw community. But many netizens, particularly from the Muslim community and the BARMM, expressed continued anger, accusing the governor of exploiting the issue for political gain.

One Bangsamoro Movement, a group of multi-sectoral leaders and peace advocates, responded with an open letter demanding a boycott of Unabia’s businesses and urging Muslim-majority local governments to declare him persona non grata. 

The group called Unabia’s statement “insufficient to heal the damage caused by his words.”

Ameerah Ruqayyah Ejem, an Islamic educator, criticized Unabia in a Facebook post, saying the governor’s remarks undermined years of bridge-building between Muslims and non-Muslims.

“Governor, those aren’t just passing remarks. That is a direct and dangerous insinuation. That is hate speech,” she wrote.

Ejem added that while Unabia is free to campaign, he should do so “with integrity and respect.” 

Unabia was also sharply criticized for what was widely seen as a sexist joke during another rally. He jested that the capitol’s nursing scholarship program was only for beautiful women because ugly nurses would only worsen the medical condition of ailing men. Rappler.com