1PWD Party-list Rep. JD Castro filed a complaint-referral against “Machong Chismisan” podcast hosts and producers before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The complaint stems from a disparaging joke one of the podcast’s hosts made at the expense of Kris Aquino’s son, Josh, who is on the autism spectrum, reported RH 15 Jecelle Ricafort on Monday.
Castro said the party-list has requested the NBI to investigate the hosts’ possible violation of the Magna Carta for Persons With Disability and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
He stressed that the “derogatory remarks” aimed at Josh included physical imitations of his mannerisms meant to ridicule, with the other participants laughing along and trading further comments.
Moreover, Castro said it is not right to call persons with disabilities (PWDs) useless, and that such a remark was a hit to organizations fighting for the rights of the sector.
He said PWDs are not weak, and the only true disability is having a “bad character,” which is uncharacteristic of a normal person, he continued.
“The only disability in the world, actually is ‘yung masamang ugali. ‘Yun lang naman. The only disability in the world is a bad attitude. So hindi dapat ‘yun ginagawa ng isang normal na tao,” he told reporters in an interview at the NBI.
Although the podcast hosts issued a public apology, the congressman said the damage had already been done. The hosts showed no compassion while mocking Josh, and the PWD sector was aggrieved by this.
“Even if they released public apologies, sabi ko nga—at sabi rin ng mga taong kasama namin sa sector, ‘yung mga parents po… the damage has been done, at nasaktan na sila. And sabi nila sa akin, hindi ba kami maaawa sa host? Pero during the time ba na sinasabi nila ‘yung kanilang mockeries sa mga PWDs, naawa ba sila? Hindi rin naman,” he explained.
Castro said that while there were sufficient laws protecting PWDs, public awareness about the issue remains lacking.
While Kris Aquino released a statement wherein she said she will not be pressing charges against the hosts, Castro said he deemed it necessary to stand on the behalf of the PWD community as a whole.
We respect that they released a statement nga na they will not pursue anymore, pero sabi ko nga, we are not standing on behalf of Josh Aquino, but on the sector as a community… Kasi paano ‘yung mga tao na walang kakayanan? Sino magpo-protekta sa kanila?” he said.
NBI Director Atty. Melvin Matibag ordered the five hosts to appear before the bureau’s Cybercrime Division on Tuesday.
The five hosts drew widespread criticism after one of them called Josh “worthless” in an episode that aired on October 5.
The episode has since been taken down from the “Machong Chismisan” podcast social media page, and the hosts have apologized for their hurtful remarks.
