Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian has reiterated on Friday (April 11) the agency will not get tired of being the watchdog against abuses on the poor, vulnerable and marginalized sectors amid the latest incident wherein a local candidate in Cavite has again used solo parents as butt of joke in his campaign sortie.
“This is a warning against candidates who continue with their political antics at the expense of the poor, the vulnerable and marginalized sectors. The DSWD will never get tired of acting as watchdog to protect the rights of these sectors every day of the year,” Secretary Gatchalian said.
The DSWD commended the Commission on Elections for declaring election campaign areas as “safe spaces” and for actively calling the attention of candidates who have been using the vulnerable sectors, including solo parents and persons with disabilities, in their political stunts.
The Comelec on Friday (April 11) issued a show cause order against Silang, Cavite mayoralty candidate Alston Kevin Anarna over a remark on single parents.
In its letter to Anarna dated April 11, 2025, the Comelec called out his statements during a campaign activity on March 29 where he was quoted to have said: “Sino dito ang mga solo parents? Bakit parang dumami ang solo parents? Kasi lahat ng solo parents bibigyan natin ng libreng asawa. Ang gagawin natin lahat ng balong lalake at lahat ng balong babae ira-raffle na lang natin yan ha, pasensyahan na lang tayo kung kanino kayo mapupunta.”
The Comelec also questioned Anarna’s remark about an elderly woman during a campaign. According to the Comelec’s Task Force SAFE, Anarna’s remarks may qualify as “gender-based harassment” under Comelec Resolution No. 11116 or the Anti-Discrimination and Fair
Secretary Gatchalian has earlier condemned the use of marginalized groups including solo parents, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities, as campaign props or subjects of jokes during barangay-based caucuses and election sorties.
The DSWD chief’s statement follows recent reports of campaign activities where members of vulnerable sectors were subjected to insensitive jokes and used to discredit political rivals.
Aside from the Comelec, Secretary Gatchalian said the Office of the President and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) are also on the lookout for similar incidents of abuse on the vulnerable and marginalized.
“Kaya huwag na nating subukan kung plano pa nating gawin. Ang mga mahihirap, may kapansanan, mga matatanda, the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized, hindi sila props para sa kampanya, hindi sila punchline ng mga biro sa kampanya. Let us not go there anymore. So banta to or warning to sa mga nagbabalak,” Secretary Gatchalian said in an earlier interview.#