Jamaine Punzalan

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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1746669333972SIA.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Pasig City congressional candidate Christian Sia. Photo from Sia&#x27;s Facebook page</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA (2nd UPDATE) — A Commission on Elections (Comelec) division has disqualified Pasig City congressional candidate Christian Sia following his sexually-charged joke on single mothers and alleged body-shaming of a former aide.</p><p>The Comelec Second Division said Sia’s remarks “were not only inappropriate, but unlawful and offensive to the principles  that guide fair and respectful elections.” </p><p>“His statements fall far below the standards required of those who wish to serve the people. Public office demands better and the people deserve no less,” the Second Division said in a resolution released Thursday. </p><p>“Respondent is hereby DISQUALIFIED from continuing as a candidate for Member, House of Representatives, Lone Legislative District of Pasig City, in relation to the 2025 National and Local Elections,” it added. </p><p>Sia went viral after a video of his campaign activity surfaced where he was heard saying: “Minsan sa isang taon, ang mga solo parent na babae na nireregla pa – Nay, malinaw, nireregla pa – at nalulungkot, minsan sa isang taon, puwedeng sumiping ho sa akin.&quot;</p><p>This prompted the Solo Parents party-list to file an election offense complaint against Sia, citing alleged violation of RA 9006 or the Fair Elections Act over his joke.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/4/comelec-to-take-action-over-candidate-s-siping-joke-0903">Comelec issues show cause order vs. Pasig bet Ian Sia over sex joke about single moms</a></div><p>In his letter to Comelec dated April 8, 2025, Sia said his controversial &quot;joke&quot; was &quot;abridged&quot; and &quot;was maliciously spun to mislead people on social media.&quot;</p><p>While Sia admitted that his language and tone &quot;were indeed conversational,&quot; his statements were not meant to &quot;discriminate, exclude, restrict, demean or harass female solo parents.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/7/sc-urged-to-sanction-pasig-candidate-sia-over-appalling-remark-on-solo-moms-1206">SC urged to sanction Pasig candidate Sia over &#x27;appalling&#x27; remark on solo moms</a></div><p>&quot;My statements were not uttered to restrict or deprive female solo parents of their fundamental human rights and freedoms,&quot; he said.</p><p>Sia said his statements <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/9/pasig-bet-ian-sia-defends-controversial-remarks-invokes-free-speech-1252">&quot;fall within my freedom of speech.&quot;</a></p><div><strong>SIA: COMELEC IS WRONG<br/></strong></div><p>In a statement after receiving the ruling, Sia said the Comelec division&#x27;s decision was &quot;wrong.&quot;</p><p>Sia argued that even assuming that he had violated the Safe Spaces Act, there was no final conviction yet.</p><p>&quot;[A]ko po na nagbiro at walang ni rape at pinatay, i-di-disqualify po ng Comelec kahit wala pang naisampang kaso laban sakin, at mas lalong walang conviction, kaugnay sa sinasabing paglabag sa Safe Spaces Act,&quot; he said.</p><p>The candidate also said that violation of the Safe Spaces Act was not among the grounds for disqualification under the Omnibus Election Cide.</p><p>&quot;Mali po ang desisyon and Comelec knows it... The Comelec has no authority to amend our election laws, it can only implement the laws passed by Congress relating to our elections,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;I repeat there’s no pending criminal case against me, much less, a final conviction for the violation of the Safe Spaces Act. Hence, there’s no valid legal ground to disqualify me as a candidate,&quot; he added.</p><p>GABRIELA SOLON WELCOMES SIA&#x27;S DQ</p><p> A group advocating for women’s rights welcomes the resolution of a division of the Comelec  disqualifying Sia.</p><p>For Gabriela Party List Representative Arlene Brosas, Sia’s statements were improper and unlawful.</p><p>“We welcome that, ‘yung disqualification kay Ian Sia sa district ng Pasig… Sumulat kami sa COMELEC. Sinabi natin at cinite natin doon kung ano ‘yung mga violation and offenses, kasi nga bastos talaga, tapos tayo ay author ng Anti-Bastos Law… Hindi pwede na ‘yung mga kandidato, ay ngayon pa lang ipinapakita na nilang ganyan sila. Paano pa kung nasa posisyon na sila? So talagang may problema doon,” Brosas explained.</p><p>“Ang Gabriela alliance ay sumulat din sa Supreme Court to ask them na itong lawyer… mayroon ding mga sanctions dapat sa larangan na ‘yun. May sanctions dapat sa mga katulad noon na talagang bastos. Ang sinasabi niya talaga ay hindi nararapat bilang public official, bilang tumatakbo ring public official. We welcome the ruling ng kasalukuyang Comelec,” he added.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe width="1250" height="703" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RGZ87YTx5EM" title="Comelec to take action over candidate’s ’siping’ joke | TeleRadyo Serbisyo" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>A Commission on Elections (Comelec) <b>division </b>has disqualified Pasig City congressional candidate Christian Sia following his sexually-charged joke on single mothers and alleged body-shaming of a former aide.</p>

A Commission on Elections (Comelec) division has disqualified Pasig City congressional candidate Christian Sia following his sexually-charged joke on single mothers and alleged body-shaming of a former aide.

Comelec division disqualifies Pasig bet Christian Sia

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Comelec division disqualifies Pasig bet Christian Sia

Jamaine Punzalan,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 08, 2025 09:56 AM PHT

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Updated May 22, 2025 06:17 PM PHT

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