Pasig City Councilor Angelu de Leon criticized lawyer Ian Sia, a congressional candidate for the city's lone district, for making offensive and disrespectful remarks about solo parents during a public event on Thursday, April 3. 

De Leon was referring to the statement that Sia during one of their campaign events, saying: “Ito po ang ambag ko para sa mga solo parent ng Pasig. Minsan sa isang taon ang mga solo parent na babae na nireregla pa… Nay, malinaw, nireregla pa—at nalulungkot, minsan sa isang taon, pwede pong sumiping sa akin. Yun pong interesado magpalista na po dito sa table sa gilid (This is my contribution to the single parents of Pasig. Once a year, the single mothers who are still menstruating -- mother, to be clear, those who still menstruate -- or feel sad once a year, they can sleep with me. Those interested can register on the table here at the side).”

As a woman and former solo parent herself, De Leon expressed her disappointment that such remarks came from a lawyer running for a congressional seat.

“Bawal ang bastos sa Pasig. Nakakagalit na sa katatapos lang ng buwan ng kababaihan, at ngayong buwan ng Abril kung kailan pambansang ipinagdiriwang at kinikilala ang ating mga solo parents, makakarinig tayo ng nakakabastos at nakakadiring pahayag sa mga babaeng solo parent sa isang pampublikong event — na nagmula pa mismo sa isang abogadong kumakandito para kongreso (Disrespect is not tolerated in Pasig. It is upsetting that just after Women’s Month, and during April when we nationally celebrate and recognize our solo parents, we hear offensive and disgusting remarks about solo mothers at a public event—coming from a lawyer who is running for congress),” she said. 

“Bilang kasalukuyang chairperson ng Committee on Social Services and Solo Parent Affairs ng Sanggunian Panlungsod ng Pasig, at bilang isang babaeng minsan din naging isang solo parent, nararamdaman ko ang labis na inis at pagkadismaya ng kababaihan at mga solo parent sa mga pahayag na ito (As the current chairperson of the Committee on Social Services and Solo Parent Affairs of the Pasig City Council, and as a woman who has also been a solo parent, I deeply feel the anger and disappointment of women and solo parents regarding these remarks),” she added.

“Ang ganitong uri ng mga salita ay hindi lamang nakakainsulto sa mga kababaihan, kundi pati na rin sa ating lipunan (Such words are not only insulting to women, but also to our society),” she continued. 

The councilor also said that respect and dignity for others, regardless of gender or status, are important values that everyone should uphold, especially those who want to serve in government and the people of Pasig.

Netizens' reaction 

Many netizens, including the SOLO Parents partylist, also expressed their anger over the statement.

“Solo parents deserve respect, not insults. Hindi madali ang magtaguyod ng pamilya mag-isa. Huwag natin silang gawing biro o gamitin sa katatawanan. Igalang natin ang kanilang kalagayan at sakripisyo (It is not easy to raise a family alone. Let’s not make a joke out of them or use their situation for amusement. Let’s respect their circumstances and sacrifices),” it stated.

Some netizens reminded Sia of his own remark, where he called Mayor Vico Sotto disrespectful to women after Sotto jokingly shook hands with the air when his mayoral opponent, Sarah Discaya (who is also a party mate of Sia), failed to attend the peace covenant event on March 27.

“Ang isda nahuhuli sa kanyang bibig. Ibabato nila kay Mayor Vico Sotto [na] bastos daw, walang galang sa mga babae, e bakit mula sa bibig ng abogado kandidato naririnig [ang] pambabastos sa mga single parent… (They accuse Mayor Vico Sotto of being disrespectful to women, yet it’s from the mouth of a congressional candidate that we hear offensive remarks about single parents),” one of the commenters said.

“Oh my! Kala ko the post was a joke but when I saw the video—totoong sinabi nya pala yan. As someone raised by a single/solo mom, bilang babae at bilang tao, nakakabastos ‘to! Lalo na para sa mga single mothers. grabe (As a woman and as a person, this is disrespectful! Especially to single mothers. It's just awful). What distasteful and disrespectful remarks,” another netizen stated. 

Some of them also claimed that he is not deserving of winning the city’s representative seat.

“Kaya hindi po siya karapat-dapat na maging congressman ng Pasig. Kahiya sya! (That’s why he doesn’t deserve to be Pasig’s congressman. He’s an embarrassment!)”; “Tama. ang bastos ng kandidatong yun, akala nya nakakatawa sya. hindi karapatdapat manalo (That candidate is so disrespectful, thinking he's being funny. He doesn’t deserve to win),” and “His own words speak for himself! Matulog ka na habang maaga pa.. Cong. Roman Romulo pa rin kami. Di kami magtitiwala sa bastos na gaya mo. Solo parent mom here (Go ahead and sleep while it's still early. We will still vote for Cong. Roman Romulo. We won’t trust someone as disrespectful as you. Solo parent mom here),” other social media users said.