Metro Manila, Philippines – A Commission on Elections (Comelec) task force has issued a show cause order to Cabiao, Nueva Ecija Mayor Ramil Rivera, requiring him to explain why he should not be disqualified from the vice mayoral race over allegations of publicly labeling and harassing his political rivals.
The Comelec Task Force SAFE (Safeguarding Against Fear and Exclusion in Elections) on Tuesday, April 22, flagged four public statements made by Rivera during the election period.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia provided the media with videos of the statements made by Rivera during media interviews and campaign sorties.
In the first statement, Rivera accused his political opponents of hiring two “commanders,” providing them with money, vehicles, and firearms. He also remarked that one councilor candidate in the opposing camp was a “kumander ng buklod (commander of a union)” extorting one sack per hectare during harvest season, while another was a “commander of pintados” (gun-for-hire).
In the next video, Rivera disparaged his rivals while introducing members of his own slate.
“Itong mga kalaban natin walang ginawa kundi manira. Sigurado mga supot pa iyan, pakituli mo lang (These enemies of ours have done nothing but destroy. I’m sure they’re all uncircumcised, just have them circumcised),” Rivera said.
In the final video, Rivera alleged that his political opponents were planning an ambush.
“Nag-iingat po kami eh baka mamaya, pagbabarilin kami doon. May dala kaming bullet-proof na sasakyan para mailigtas namin ang aming mga sarili… Dahil alam naman po natin kung anong klase ang ating mga kalaban. Alam ko marami na sa inyong mga bahay ang pinuntahan nung mga komander ng ating kalaban,” he said.
[Translation: We were being careful because we might get shot there. We were onboard a bullet-proof vehicle to protect ourselves… Because we know what kind of enemies we are up against. I know many of your homes have already been visited by the commanders of our enemies.]
Comelec Task Force SAFE found potential violations of the poll body’s anti-discrimination and fair campaigning guidelines, particularly concerning gender-based harassment and labeling.
“In view of the foregoing, you are hereby ordered to SHOW CAUSE in writing within a non-extendible period of three (3) days from receipt hereof and to explain why a complaint for election offense and/or a petition for disqualification should not be filed against you,” the task force said in a four-page order signed by its head, Director Sonia Bea Wee-Lozafa.
The task force has already issued several show cause orders to candidates in the May 12 midterm elections for making sexist, racist, and other inappropriate remarks.
Pasig congressional candidate Christian “Ian” Sia, the first to receive such an order for making a lewd joke about single mothers, is now facing a disqualification case and has been summoned to file his response.
