1PWD party-list: ADHD diagnosis not an excuse to mock PWDs

MANILA, Philippines — An Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis should not excuse a person from making insensitive remarks about persons with disabilities (PWDs), 1PWD Party-list Rep. JD Castro said Monday.

This came after Machong Chismisan podcast host Tito P said he has ADHD, which can affect impulse control and filtering thoughts, following his “walang kuwenta (useless)” remark about Kris Aquino’s son, Josh, who is on the autism spectrum.

READ: 1PWD party-list seeks NBI help vs Machong Chismisan hosts, producers

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“He said he has ADHD, but as someone with a disability, you also have no right to mock someone with a disability. So it’s not really an excuse,” Castro said in a chance interview with reporters at the NBI.

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Castro arrived at the NBI on Monday morning to submit a complaint-referral against the Machong Chismisan hosts and producers for alleged violations of the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

LOOK: 1PWD party-list Rep. JD Castro arrives at the NBI’s headquarters in Pasay City to file a complaint-referral against hosts and producers of “Machong Chismisan” podcast following insensitive remarks directed at Kris Aquino’s firstborn son, Josh, who is on the autism https://t.co/VnxTcj1GxR

— MJ Salcedo (@MJSalcedoINQ) October 19, 2026

In an earlier statement, Tito P admitted that he made “disparaging” remarks about Josh, which “hurt” many people who relate to his condition.

“I can relate to him and to those affected as someone who has also been diagnosed as neurodivergent. While this does not excuse my hurtful words or the laughter that followed, I hope people will consider that I was not coming from a place of malice or hurtful intent,” he earlier said.

“As someone with ADHD, impulse control can make filtering thoughts difficult. An edgy joke might pop into my head, and before my executive functioning can evaluate the social risk, it has already been said aloud. I share this not to excuse my behavior, but to provide context,” he added.

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READ: Podcast hosts mock Kris Aquino’s son Josh

The podcast hosts also apologized through their official social media account.

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But Castro pointed out that the apology was not enough. He also said they would pursue the complaint until it proceeded to court as “the damage has been done.”

NBI Director Melvin Matibag said last week that the bureau had issued subpoenas to Tito P and four other hosts of the Machong Chismisan podcast, requiring them to appear before the bureau on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

The five male hosts faced backlash after making comments about Josh in an episode that aired on Oct. 5.

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The episode has been deleted from their social media page, but various netizens have already reposted clips of it. /mcm