đź“·Atty. Christian “Ian” Sia
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Task Force SAFE has filed a petition on Wednesday, April 16, seeking the disqualification of Atty. Christian “Ian” Sia, a congressional candidate in Pasig City, due to controversial comments made during his campaign for the 2025 midterm elections.
According to the petition, the Comelec task force claimed that Sia violated Comelec’s anti-discrimination policy.
The Task Force, which enforces fair campaigning guidelines, claims that Sia’s remarks breached Comelec Resolution No. 11116, which categorizes discrimination against vulnerable sectors as an election offense.
The resolution prohibits discrimination based on factors such as HIV status, gender, disability, and more. Acts like bullying, gender-based harassment, and violations of anti-discrimination laws are also covered under this resolution.
Sia has already received two show cause orders from the poll body. One was issued after he made a sexual joke about single mothers during his campaign on April 2, while the other stemmed from a comment he made regarding the weight of his female staff at a separate event.
This petition marks the first disqualification case filed under Comelec’s enforcement of its anti-discrimination and fair campaigning rules.
The upcoming midterm elections are scheduled for May 12, with overseas Filipinos voting from April 13 to May 12 and local absentees—such as AFP, PNP, and media practitioners—voting from April 28 to 30. The elections will fill 18,272 national and local positions. The campaign period began on February 11. (TCSP)
