The Pasig City candidate at the congress and member of the opposition group "Kaya This" Ian Sia was disqualified by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on May 7 due to discriminatory and non-pristine statements, particularly regarding the address of not being married to the mother and former assistant.
The decision was made by the 2nd division of Comelec, and it agreed with the complaint of its anti-discrimination panel, which initiated the case based on a private initiative. "The respondent is excluded from the list of candidates for the position of member of the House of Representatives of the lone legislative district of Pasig in the national and local elections of 2025," the decision stated.
According to the records of Comelec, this is the first case of the disqualification of a candidate due to discriminatory remarks. Sia faced sharp criticism from lawmakers, civic groups, and internet users following a statement made at one of the pre-election events about the idea that, if victorious, he would not be remaining in a marriage to the mother from Pasig while engaging with the same sex once a year.
The task of Comelec regarding security previously twice referred to Sia, requesting him to explain his unpleasant remarks about women. In his official response on April 8, Sia stated, "My pre-election activities are my way of engaging with voters. Although my words may sound harsh, my speech overall does not violate freedom of speech."
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia clarified that Sia can still appeal the disqualification before the full commission and ultimately submit the case to the Supreme Court.
