For content creators and podcasters, there is a crackdown, not only on tax evasion, but also on disability rights violations camouflaged as jokes.
Recently the hosts of the podcast “Machong Chismisan” mocked Josh Aquino, a person on the autism who happens to have a famous parents. The episode has since been taken down.
Making fun of persons with disabilities for views, laughs, or viral engagement is not automatically protected by the excuse of comedy. A person’s disability is not a punchline, and humiliation is not entertainment. Not every offensive joke automatically constitutes a crime, but calling something comedy does not automatically excuse unlawful conduct.
Under the Philippines’ Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities (Republic Act No. 7277), acts of discrimination and abuse may carry legal consequences. Republic Act No. 9442 explicitly prohibits public ridicule and vilification of persons with disabilities. The law carries penalties for violations.
Creators and podcasters have influence—and responsibility. Before publishing a video, recording a podcast, or joining a viral pile-on, ask: Does this content challenge prejudice or reinforce it? Are we criticizing an idea or humiliating a person because of disability?
The Autism Society Philippines opines that the digital world is not beyond the reach of accountability. Free expression comes with responsibility. Build an audience through creativity, insight, and wit—not by stripping others of their dignity.
The ASP is calling for the censure of these content creators and podcasters by their management (The Pod Network, in this case), their platforms and the government.
Disability inclusion is a matter of rights, not personal preference. Make content that informs, entertains, and respects. Because when the joke depends on making someone less human, the problem isn’t the audience that gets offended. It’s the creator who thinks cruelty deserves applause.
Posted in: 4public
