Group decries ‘kiss auction’ in Pangasinan

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Women’s group Gabriela decried what it called a degrading “kiss auction” involving an elderly woman during a campaign sortie by local candidates in Urdaneta City last week.

“We are outraged by this reprehensible display where local officials essentially auctioned off an elderly woman’s dignity for their entertainment and the crowd’s amusement,” Gabriela secretary general Clarice Palce said.

Palce cited a video showing an elderly woman being called on stage where officials conducted a bidding war for her kisses, starting at P1,000 and eventually ending at P5,000.

According to Palce, the act is a form of exploitation, grossly violates a woman’s dignity and reinforces the notion that women can be treated as objects to satiate men’s pleasure.