1PWD party-list filing complaint vs Machong Chismisan hosts

MANILA, Philippines — 1PWD party-list Rep. JD Castro said that his group will file a complaint before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against Machong Chismisan podcast hosts over their insensitive remarks directed towards people with disabilities (PWD).

The five male hosts faced backlash after they made comments about Joshua “Josh” Aquino, the eldest son of television host Kris Aquino, who is on the autism spectrum, in one of their podcast episodes.

The episode has been taken down from the podcast’s page.

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READ: Podcast hosts mock Kris Aquino’s son Josh

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“Hindi po biro ang disability. Hindi po ito punchline. At higit sa lahat, hindi po dapat gawing katatawanan ang dignidad ng isang tao para lamang makakuha ng views, likes, o laughter,” Castro said in a video post.

(Disability is not a joke. It is not a punchline. And above all, a person’s dignity should never be turned into a laughingstock just to gain views, likes, or laughter.)

The 1PWD party-list said representatives will appear before the NBI headquarters in Pasay City on Monday, Oct. 19, to file a complaint against the hosts of the Machong Chismisan podcast.

Castro said that although they acknowledge the public apologies made by the podcast’s hosts, they will still review the incident and take appropriate measures to address the issue.

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He added that they will continue to engage with the parties involved to “advocate for accountability, meaningful dialogue, and stronger awareness of disability sensitivity.”

“We acknowledge these steps, but accountability must go beyond deleting a video and issuing a statement. Ang tanong po natin: paano natin masisigurong hindi na ito mauulit?” he said.

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(We acknowledge these steps, but accountability must go beyond deleting a video and issuing a statement. Our question is: how can we ensure that this will not happen again?)

He added that they will continue to push efforts for the PWD’s protection against discrimination, mockery, and harmful stereotypes, in compliance with applicable laws. 

He further urged content creators, comedians, and media to use their platforms responsibly.

“Sa mga content creators, comedians, at media personalities, gamitin po natin ang ating platforms to bring people together, not to diminish those who are already facing barriers in society,” he stressed.

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(To content creators, comedians, and media personalities, let’s use our platforms to bring people together, not to diminish those who are already facing barriers in society.) /gsg