Unabia regrets anti-Moro and sexist remarks but says they “do not amount to discrimination”

CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews / 13 April) —  Embattled Misamis Oriental Governor Peter Unabia told said the anti-Moro and sexist remarks attributed to him during campaign rallies do not constitute an election offense because they were “made in good faith, expressed in non-malicious, non-threatening contexts” and were “not accompanied by any directive, propaganda, or sustained pattern of exclusionary or hateful campaigning.”

Unabia, who is seeking reelection, gave this explanation in his three-page reply to the Comelec’s Task Force on Safeguarding Against Fear and Exclusion (SAFE), Unabia, who is seeking reelection,  said that nowhere in his campaign speech did he identify, accuse or associate  “any candidate, group and community  as  criminals, terrorists and subversives.”

^{Governor Peter Unabia. File photo courtesy of Misamis Oriental Provincial Information Office Facebook page}

“The presentation was a general cautionary discussion grounded on past events, security concerns and not an imputation of guilt or malice,” Unabia told Comelec Director Sonia Bea Wee-Lozada, head of Task Force SAFE.

The Task Force flagged Unabia for his anti-Moro remarks that drew widespread condemnation from Bangsamoro officials especially those from Lanao del Sur.

Lozada also flagged Unabia for saying in another campaign rally that the province’s nursing scholarship program should be made available only for “beautiful women.”

Unabia said “unattractive” nurses could worsen a male patient’s condition because if male patients are attended to by an ugly nurse, their illness could get worse. 

Unabia said what he said did not constitute discrimination against women because there was no exclusion, denial, or impairment of women’s rights; no actual policy, ordinance, or measure adopted or enforced that nullifies women’s equal access to education or scholarships; and no proof of adverse impact or discriminatory result affecting women in any legal, social, or institutional manner. 

Lozada issued a “Show Cause Order” for Unabia to reply why no disqualification proceedings should be conducted against him.

Lozada said Unabia could be cited for potential violations of the Anti-Discrimination and Fair Campaign Guidelines no. 11116 for his “sexist remarks against women and remarks against Muslims.”

In his April 3 rally in Tagoloan town, the governor presented a slideshow titled “Mga Panghitabo sa BARMM areas” (Incidents in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) with warning to the voters not to support candidates with ties to Meranaw politicians.

He said his remarks referred to historical acts of violence in the BARMM such as bombings and massacres and “must be viewed not as a ‘labeling’ or ‘vilification’ of any ethnic or religious group, but as a contextual and factual discussion on public safety and peace and order concerns within the bounds of public discourse.”

He said equating his statements with malicious labeling or inciting to fear is to ignore the right to political expression and legitimate discussion of public interest, especially regarding security policy and regional development. 

“At no point,” he said, “did I make derogatory generalizations toward the Maranao people or any Muslim community nor intended to pursue religious or ethnic bias.”

He said his record reflects “collaboration with and respect for Muslim constituents, evidenced by multiple-peace building initiatives under my leadership.”

Unabia said that if any misunderstanding was caused, “I sincerely regret” but he maintains that “it does not legally or factually amount to discrimination or gender-based harassment” and that they were “not accompanied by any policy, action, or directive that excludes, restricts, or disadvantages any generd.”

He also apologized to the Interfaith group led by Bishops and Ulama but other Muslim groups who were not satisfied by his explanation, vowed they would continue calling for a boycott of Unabia’s businesses among them the popular “San Pedro Lechon Manok” which has branches nationwide. 

A coalition of Meranaw leaders under the One Bangsamoro Movement, filed a verified intervention before the Comelec last Thursday seeking the disqualification of Unabia. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)