Comelec seeks disqualification of Pasay mayor candidate for racist remarks

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Task Force SAFE has filed a motu proprio petition to disqualify Pasay City mayoral candidate Editha Yambao Manguerra for derogatory remarks made during her campaign.

Manguerra was quoted as saying 'Let's remove the bumbay so there won't be no onion smell left at Pasay Gen,' referring to foreign students studying and interning at the Pasay General Hospital.

The task force argued that despite Manguerra's claim that her comments were not meant to be derogatory or racist, they violated Section 261(e) of the Omnibus Election Code and Section 13 of the Fair Elections Act.

Manguerra has apologized for her remarks but maintains that she was responding to constituents' complaints about communication issues.

The Comelec Task Force SAFE seeks Manguerra's disqualification as a mayoral candidate and suspension of her proclamation should she win, citing clear evidence of discrimination against Indian foreign interns.

The petition highlights the illegality of Manguerra's utterances under existing national laws and international conventions ratified by the Philippines.