Comelec issues show cause order to Misamis Oriental governor over controversial nursing scholarship joke

Misamis Oriental Gov. Peter Unabia, who is seeking a second term in the May polls, is facing backlash from various groups after making "sexist" and "discriminatory" remarks about nurses during a public event.

In his speech, Unabia said in his local dialect that his administration’s scholarship program for nursing students was only for “beautiful women."

"Itong nursing scholarship para lang sa mga babae. Hindi pwede ang lalaki. At dapat 'yung mgfa babae, maganda. Hindi pwedeng pangit, kasi kung nanghihina na ang mga lalaking pasyente kapag hinarap ng pangit na nurse, paano naman? Lalala ang sakit nyan. Kailangan maganda," he said, as per translation of News5. 

Several groups then slammed Unabia's remarks while calling for "stronger accountability in elections." 

Senatorial candidate and Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas called Unabia's remarks as a "gross display of misogyny and discrimination." 

"Ito ay tahasang pambabastos, hindi lang sa mga nars, kundi sa buong hanay ng kababaihan." 

"Ang pagiging nurse ay batay sa kakayahan, kaalaman, at malasakit, hindi sa itsura. Hindi physical appearance ng nurses ang problema ng ating health system, kundi ang ‘pangit’ na pamamahala at pagpapabaya ng gobyerno sa kalusugan ng mamamayan," she added. 

Brosas also pointed out that Unabia’s comments echo a past incident involving Pasig City congressional candidate Atty. Christian Sia, who made a sexual joke about single mothers.

"Paulit-ulit na nating naririnig ang ganitong mga sexist remarks mula sa ilang kandidato. Nakakalungkot at nakakagalit na sa halip na plataporma, pambabastos ang ibinabandera. Ito ay malinaw na senyales kung gaano kalalim pa rin ang ugat ng misogyny sa ating gobyerno," the Gabriela Rep. said.

This also rings true for Gabriela Partylist 1st Nominee Sarah Elago. 

"Walang puwang sa pamahalaan ang mga nambabastos ng kababaihan at nagpapalaganap ng diskriminasyon. Aktibo nating bantayan ang mga pahayag ng kandidato at agad-agad na i-report ang mga bastos at abusado,” she urged the public." 

Elago continued, "To all nurses and health workers, especially the women and LGBTQ+ individuals on the frontlines, we salute your skill, integrity, and courage. Kayo ang tunay na ehemplo ng serbisyo, hindi ang mga bastos na naghahangad ng kapangyarihan."

Meanwhile, the Philippine Nurses Association shared a petition link on their Facebook page seeking to "protect the integrity of nursing." 

For them, Unabia's "genderized and appearance-based healthcare practices have no place in a country of intelligent and well-informed citizenry." 

"Filipinos deserve a healthcare system grounded in fairness, integrity, and inclusiveness—where every aspiring nurse is given an equal opportunity to study, grow, and serve, regardless of how they look or identify," they said while enumerating a call to concerned government agencies, educational institutions, and community leaders. 

Comelec to issue show cause order

In response to the uproar, the Commission on Elections issued a show cause order to Unabia on April 7 to explain his utterances made during his April 3 campaign event.

It added that the governor possibly violated the poll body's anti-discrimination and fair campaigning guidelines (Comelec Resolution No. 11116).

He is also ordered to explain his other pronouncement suggesting the Maranaos could cause problems in Misamis Oriental if his son, Rep. Christian Unabia, loses to a candidate with ties to Maranao politicians.

Unabia made the remarks during his slideshow presentation titled "Mga Panghitabo sa BARMM areas" (Situation in the BARMM areas).

In response to the backlash, Unabia explained in a statement that his comments were taken out of context. He also accused his political opponents of "blowing them out of proportion."

"We recognize that our words may have been open to various interpretations and could have been perceived as lacking the necessary sensitivity," he said.

"We sincerely apologize, as it was never our intention to cause offense or to undermine the rich history, identity, and dignity of the Maranao people." 

Unabia claimed that his comments during the campaign were meant to address concerns about counterfeit money and unfamiliar people in the area, not to target any group.

The Misamis Oriental governor has three days to explain why a complaint for election offense and a petition for diqualification should not be filed against him.