The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has released a new resolution seeking to prevent all forms of discrimination during the upcoming election period. The resolution outlines specific acts considered election offenses, including bullying based on HIV status, coercion, discrimination against women and PWDs, gender-based harassment, and violations of anti-discrimination ordinances. Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia emphasizes that campaigning should not be an excuse for disrespecting vulnerable groups and stresses the importance of upholding the law and promoting a respectful electoral environment.
A new resolution released by the Commission on Elections ( Comelec ) aims to curb all forms of discrimination during the election period, warning that any violation will result in an election offense. Under Resolution No.
11116, promulgated on Wednesday, February 19, anyone who, directly or indirectly, engages in acts of bullying based on HIV status, coercion, discrimination against women, discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) on the use of public accommodations, gender-based harassment, labeling, public ridicule against PWDs, vilification of PWDs, violation of an anti-discrimination ordinance, and/or violation of rights to religious, cultural sites and ceremonies as defined under Section 2 of the resolution will be held liable for an election offense. The resolution emphasizes that this is in accordance with Section 13 of Republic Act (RA) 9006 and Section 261 (e) of the Omnibus Election Code, along with other relevant laws, rules, and regulations. The resolution defines bullying based on HIV status as any form of bullying, including name-calling directed at an individual based on their actual, perceived, or suspected HIV status. This encompasses bullying that occurs in social media and other online platforms during the election period for any election-related activity, including but not limited to campaign activities. For gender-based harassment, it refers to any unwelcome and uninvited sexual actions or remarks directed towards any person, regardless of the motive, whether in-person or online, broadcast or in print, during the election period, for any election-related activity including but not limited to campaign activities. This includes: physical, psychological, and emotional threats; unwanted sexual, misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic, and sexist remarks and comments, whether publicly or through direct and private communications or messages; invasion of a person's privacy through stalking and incessant messaging, whether online or in person; uploading and sharing without consent any media containing photos, voice, or video with sexual content; any unauthorized/unlawful recording and sharing of a person's photos, videos, or information online; impersonating identities online, publishing or posting lies about candidates and their immediate family members to harm their reputation; catcalling, wolf-whistling, unwanted invitations, misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic, and sexist slurs; persistent uninvited comments or gestures on a person's appearance, gender orientation, and gender identity; lewd sexual actions; and any acts or advances, whether verbal or physical, that are unwanted and threaten one's sense of personal space and physical safety, including cursing, leering, and intrusive gazing, and taunting
Comelec Election Discrimination Resolution Bullying Gender-Based Harassment Pwds HIV Campaign Human Rights
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