Former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Atty. Rowena Guanzon is escalating the legal implications of a viral mall confrontation, considering a lawsuit against the netizen who uploaded the video, in addition to her complaint against the couple she argued with.
The incident, which took place on the evening of December 6, began when Guanzon coughed once due to an itchy throat. According to her account to ABS-CBN News, a man she identified as a Chinese national told her to leave the mall, claiming she was “contagious.” Guanzon insisted she had the right to be in a public place and that he had no authority to order her to leave. When she demanded an apology, the man allegedly refused and instead scrutinized her from head to toe. The argument intensified when the man reportedly asked her, in what she deemed a derogatory manner, if she could not afford a face mask.
Guanzon stated that the man’s comment was condescending and rude. The confrontation quickly became heated, leading Guanzon to file a complaint against the man, whom she named “Chiong,” at the Makati Central Police Station. She noted that while the man’s wife apologized, he refused and even glared at her.
The former Comelec official further revealed a dramatic turn of events at the police station: as the couple was about to be read their Miranda Rights, the man allegedly fled with the help of his lawyer—an action Guanzon questioned as a possible violation of legal ethics.
Beyond the initial row, Guanzon is now focused on the unauthorized video recording. She is actively seeking the identity of the person who recorded and uploaded the viral footage, arguing that Sinabi ni dating Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Atty. Rowena Guanzon na bukod sa nakaaway na mag-asawa sa isang mall dahil sa pag-ubo niya nang wala raw face mask, posible ring idemanda niya ang netizen na nag-upload ng viral video habang nagagalit siya. In an interview, she confirmed that she allowed the video to be taken, knowing it would spread, but stressed that the video’s unauthorized publication violated her right to privacy.
Sa panayam ng ABS-CBN News kay Guanzon, pinahahanap na raw ang nag-record at uploader na aniya ay lumabag sa kaniyang right to privacy, sa insidente noong gabi ng Disyembre 6. She issued a warning via her interview: “Ako naman, pumayag naman ako, i-video nila kasi alam ko na kakalat ‘yong video, na unauthorized. By the way, that video violated my right to privacy. For now, gusto ko lang malaman niya na [they] committed a crime, and [they] should delete their post. Kung kayo lamang po ay nagtatrabaho lamang, at hindi naman po kayo maraming pera para sa abogado, mas maganda mag-avoid na kayo ng mga legal trouble, i-take down n’yo na ‘yong mga post, video n’yo sa akin…“
Guanzon also shared on Facebook that the incident caused her blood pressure to spike, requiring assistance from medics at the mall. She later posted a video thanking those who expressed concern, asserting that she stood her ground because one should never tolerate abuse. Inamin din ni Guanzon na talagang napahiya siya sa ginawa ng nabanggit na lalaki, lalo’t marami sa mga taong nakasaksi sa insidente ay kakilala siya. She concluded that if she could defend other people from oppression, she must certainly defend herself.