Misamis Oriental: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued a show cause order to Misamis Oriental Governor Peter Unabia, requiring him to explain controversial remarks he made during campaign events last week.

According to Philippines News Agency, the order was issued by Comelec Task Force Safe, led by Sonia Bea Wee-Lozada, who cited potential violations of guidelines on anti-discrimination and fair campaigning. Unabia may face accountability for breaches of Republic Act No. 9710, known as the Magna Carta of Women, and Republic Act No. 11313, or the Safe Spaces Act.

Unabia defended his remarks by stating they were intended as jokes and urged the public not to be overly sensitive. He explained that his comments during a campaign sortie, which included offering nursing scholarships exclusively to “beautiful women,” were meant to keep the audience engaged. “You must understand that the audience has been sitting there from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. You need to keep them awake,” Unabia remarked during a flag-raising ceremony on Monday.

He further clarified that the scholarships are available to all qualified individuals, regardless of gender, and elaborated on the scholarship program as a collaboration with Mindanao State University-Naawan campus. The province has allocated PHP6 million for faculty support and another PHP6 million for student scholarships.

Unabia also faced criticism for remarks made during campaign events in the province’s first district, where he reportedly associated terror groups with Muslims and cautioned against entities from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao “entering” the province to govern.

Over the weekend, Unabia issued a statement asserting that his words were misconstrued and reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to fostering peace and progress among the varied people and religious groups in the province.