Lawyer and congressional hopeful Christian “Ian” Sia is under fire after drawing criticism for a viral comment involving single mothers and alleged sexist behavior during his campaign.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered Sia to explain within 10 days why he should not face disciplinary action following a complaint filed by lawyers Allen Liberato-Espino and Michelle Laserna-Adricula. The complaint stemmed from Sia’s controversial public statement suggesting single mothers, particularly those still menstruating and feeling lonely, could sleep with him once a year. The Gabriela Women’s Party also called on the Court to look into the issue, labeling the remarks as distasteful and harmful.
While Sia has since claimed the comment was made in jest and has asked for a second chance, the backlash continues to escalate.
Separately, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has also issued a show cause order against Sia for allegedly making misogynistic comments toward female members of his campaign team. The poll body’s Task Force SAFE (Safeguarding against Fear and Exclusion in Elections) is now determining whether Sia violated Resolution 1116, which promotes anti-discrimination and fair campaigning standards.
As of this posting, Sia has yet to issue an official statement addressing the show cause orders.
