The Commission on Human Rights, as Gender Ombud, joins the collective condemnation of the manipulated and fabricated videos of Aika Robredo circulating online. The sexist and misogynistic style of campaigning in Philippine elections must stop. Since 2016, the Commission has spoken out against the rampant and normalized sexism and misogyny during and even after elections. During the height of the Chief Executive’s rape jokes, we have issued a resolution that such acts violate the Magna Carta of Women and called upon the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to adopt a Code of Conduct for individuals running for positions. When Senator Leila de Lima’s alleged sex videos were threatened to be shown in Congress, we have expressed our indignation and called it out for what it is—the silencing of a woman human rights defender and a violation of her rights under the Magna Carta of Women and other related laws.

During the 2019 elections, we continued to call out practices that demean, objectify and make women and women’s bodies as objects of entertainment and weapons of political mudslinging in the middle of campaign sorties. We have refused to accept excuses that these practices are made in jest and fanfare or that sources are unverified or unknown—stressing their impact on women’s human rights, on women’s safety and security, and women’s political participation, and urgent need for action. This election, we reiterated our calls but with more urgency. Just last week we have called out the practices of national and local candidates that objectify women and make women’s sexuality as forms of entertainment during campaign sorties.

This week, the brazen and malicious attack on Aika Robredo has made clear the persistence of sexist and misogynistic practices during elections. It has shown how violence and threats against women—crimes under our current laws—are deployed as political weapons and, in this case, as another case of clear misogyny—against a woman candidate. For years now, the UN has documented the attacks, the vitriol and the violence that women in politics face—for being women, for being women who dared to speak out, and for being women active in politics. It is the State’s obligation to protect women in politics from all forms of violence committed both in online and offline spaces. It is the State’s obligation under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) to act with due diligence in the investigation of cases of violations and to create an enabling environment for women in politics to be able to participate free from violence, threats, and coercion.

As Gender Ombud, the Commission calls upon the different agencies of the government to address the different forms of gender-based violence and harassment perpetuated during the conduct of current election campaign. As we have clear legal frameworks in addressing gender-based violence committed in online spaces—the Safe Spaces Act and the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act—we call on the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police Cybercrime Group to conduct immediate investigation of violations, including those who post and reposted contents in violation of our current laws. We reiterate our recommendations to COMELEC for the adoption of a Code of Conduct for individuals running for elective positions and for clear disciplinary actions in cases of violation of current laws against Gender-Based violence and sexual harassment.

We also pose this as a challenge to social media giants. We call upon them to police their platforms accordingly, to seriously take their roles in respecting human rights, and to stop this insidious practice on their platforms. We call on social media outlet and platforms to take a stand against misogyny and sexism and not to allow these discriminatory practices to spread any further. We underscore the role of social media platforms in upholding the Safe Spaces Act, especially in addressing violations committed in online spaces.

Lastly, we call on the public to be more discerning, to do our part in the creation of safe spaces online by reporting and refusing to share these damaging falsehoods and fabrications and to report these posts to the administrators for their action. As part of our mandate to monitor the violation of women’s human rights and violence against women, we also urge everyone to report and document gender-related election violations in our reporting portal: gbvcovid.report.

Let us render violence against women in politics visible and let us document and respond to all forms of gender-based violence committed during and even after this election period.