Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Friday urged local candidates for the May 12 elections to raise the level of discourse during the campaign and avoid resorting to jokes that tend to degrade the poor, vulnerable and marginalized sectors.
“Let’s not underestimate the voters. They may laugh but who says they will vote for you. Keep them engaged by telling them what you will do for them rather than making them the punchline of your jokes,” Gatchalian said in a statement as he reminded candidates they should engage the crowd with their messages and not entertain them.
Gatchalian maintained that solo parents, who were used as the butt of jokes by a local candidate in a now-viral video, are real-life heroes who put food on the table against all odds.
“They raise their kids alone through sheer sacrifice. Let’s not marginalize them further. As DSWD Secretary, I simply do not find this funny,” he said.
“I have been to these barangay based caucuses where it is really hard to keep the voters’ attention especially in this sweltering heat. But using our vulnerable, poor and marginalized sectors as butt of jokes is not the way to go,” Gatchalian added.
The DSWD chief expressed hope the discourse during the remaining weeks of the local campaign will be raised to a higher level.
“To engage the crowd, we have to explain what we can do for them, not make them the butt of jokes. We should never degrade the poor, marginalized and vulnerable,” he said.