A congressional candidate for Pasig has found himself in trouble over a joke he made during a campaign sortie, receiving backlash for his misogynistic remarks that allegedly objectify and look down on female solo parents. He was later forced to issue an apology, although the apology had little impact on swaying public opinion in his favor.

In fact, the Commission on Elections recently issued a show-cause order, asking him to explain why he should not be charged with an election offense. It turns out that what he did may have constituted gender-based harassment and discrimination against women, as defined and prohibited under Republic Act 9710, or the Magna Carta for Women, and Republic Act 11313, or the Safe Spaces Act. Meanwhile, the Gabriela party list is asking for his disqualification as a candidate and even subsequent disbarment as a lawyer.

To be honest, I don’t know who Christian Sia is, his track record of service, what he stands for, or whether or not he is a good man. For all I know, he might have just been motivated by sheer intent to make his constituents laugh, except that it obviously misfired big time.

And there lies the problem.

In this age of social media, public figures and celebrities should be careful about any utterance or post they make, since public backlash is immediate in the same manner that positive validation comes in a heartbeat.

There used to be a time when the Supreme Court would usually resort to community standards to determine whether or not an utterance is considered protected speech. But that is very difficult to do now, considering that the majority is no longer the group that is greater in number but the loudest. So, it’s highly possible that what one says may have been accepted by many but may be seen as despicable by some. That some can create trouble if they are loud and aggressive in getting their criticism across. So, they become the community standard.

I am not saying, though, that we should justify the joke that Sia made. As a stand-up comedian, I would not really make such a remark, considering that ship has long sailed given the current paradigm that promotes equality, inclusivity, and recognition of gender identity and expression. The point, though, is that one comment is all it takes for the public to dislike you and consider you a social pariah. You may be a kind man, mild-mannered and understanding. Yet, none of these qualities would matter once you say something they despise, because that becomes the very embodiment of who you are.

When my comedian friend was gunned down at his own show, I saw a lot of comments that seemingly approved of his killing because they found his jokes distasteful and disrespectful. Some are even blaming him for his own fate. But as someone who had known him for so long (as he used to open for me in some of my specials), I can tell you he was an honest and kind man who, as a comedian, simply wanted to bring laughter with his edgy bits. Sadly, his video was shared without his consent, shocking the public who supposedly should not have seen it unless they got to embrace his persona and intentions first so they could properly assess his comedy.

Truth is, I could say the same thing about the rider who was killed in broad daylight in Rizal. People easily dismissed him and his wounded son as deserving of what happened to them without really knowing who they were as individuals.

But that is the problem with social media. On this platform, people no longer care about context and details. They could pass judgment on you based on a mere video about you or a comment you make. In the case of Sia, it is a lot easier not to root for him because, regardless of his intention, he said the wrong thing at the wrong time and in the wrong place. But there are those being crucified solely on ideological grounds, using the utterances they make as the basis for vitriolic criticisms, even though they are well-intentioned.

This is why anyone who engages in social media should be mindful of the consequences of thoughtless remarks they make. Unless they want to be a clout chaser or some dickhead who wants to spew out acrimonious diatribes for content and engagement, they should exercise caution and care.

At all times, matter-of-factly!