'Spread your legs': Davao congressman given 3 days to explain lewd campaign remarks

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections has ordered a gubernatorial candidate in Davao de Oro to explain within three days why he should not be sanctioned for telling a woman to "spread your legs" and making other lewd remarks during a campaign event.

In a show cause order dated April 8, the poll body's Task Force on Safeguarding Against Fear & Exclusion in Elections (Task Force SAFE) cited three separate campaign events where Rep. Ruwel Peter Gonzaga (Davao de Oro), who is running for provincial governor, allegedly made statements that could constitute gender-based harassment.

This is the fifth show cause order issued by the Comelec in a month related to sexist or misogynistic remarks by local candidates. The back-to-back orders have prompted the poll body to push for a resolution declaring all campaign activities as safe spaces.

A show cause order is a formal notice issued by the Comelec requiring a candidate to explain or justify an alleged violation of election rules. It gives the candidate an opportunity to respond to complaints before the commission decides whether to pursue charges or impose penalties such as disqualification.

According to a copy of the order sent to reporters on Wednesday, the Comelec documented several troubling statements made by Gonzaga during campaign events.

In one incident, Gonzaga allegedly told a person identified as "Dotdot" to "spread your legs," saying in Filipino: "Dotdot, susuyuin kita. Bumukaka ka na (Dotdot, I will court you. Spread your legs now)."

The order also cited video evidence showing Gonzaga instructing Nena Atamosa — who is a candidate for board member of Davao de Oro's first district — to stand before a crowd with someone identified as "Kagawad Arguelles." 

Gonzaga then allegedly asked them to kiss, saying he wanted it "on the lips" and counting "one, two, three" before suggesting he could kiss her elsewhere when Arguelles appeared hesitant.

Atamosa is part of Gonzaga's "Team Byaheng Kalinaw" slate.

In a third incident cited by the poll body, Gonzaga allegedly made sexually explicit comparisons between men and women, asking the crowd if women were "good" at having intimate relations or "even better than men."  

According to the Comelec's anti-discrimination guidelines for the May elections, or Resolution 11116, gender-based harassment includes "unwanted sexual misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic and sexist remarks and comments" made publicly or through private communications.

The show cause order warns that failure to comply within the three days will be considered a waiver of Gonzaga's right to be heard. 

Marcos urged to sanction partymate 

Former Sen. Leila de Lima condemned Gonzaga's remarks in a statement Wednesday, calling them "deeply appalling" and "symptomatic of a broken political culture that continues to treat women as objects, not as equal citizens."

De Lima urged Gonzaga to issue a public apology and called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as leader of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas to which Gonzaga belongs, to discipline his party-mate. "As the administration party, PFP must set a good example," she said.

Sexist and misogynistic remarks repeatedly cropped up in the campaign trail for the May elections, prompting the Comelec to take stronger measures by designating campaign venues as "safe spaces" free from discrimination and harassment. 

Series of lewd remarks

Other candidates who received show cause orders for discriminatory or inappropriate remarks include Pasig congressional bet Christian Sia, who faced two separate orders—first for saying single mothers could sleep with him once a year, and again after he publicly commented on a female staff member's weight and appearance.

Others who have been called out by the poll body are Misamis Oriental Gov. Peter Unabia for implying the Maranao community might cause unrest if his son loses and remarking that nursing is "only for beautiful women" and Batangas gubernatorial candidate Jay Manalo Ilagan for making ageist comments against former governor Vilma Santos.