LET me add to the conversation on rape jokes. This issue has become viral on social media when President Rodrigo Duterte joked that Davao City became the country’s rape capital because of its beautiful women.
I have been in several parts of Mindanao, including Davao City. I can agree with him that there are many beautiful Davaoeñas, as well as in Cagayan de Oro City. The Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant 2018 listed Mindanaoan lasses Henna Cajandig of Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat, Rosemarie Murphy of Agusan, Janette Sturm of South Cotabato, Jehza Mae Huelar of Davao City, Joy Abellanida of North Cotabato, and Joy de Castro of Davao del Norte.
Winning the Binibining Pilipinas Supranational 2018 was no. 31 Jehza Huelar from Davao. I hate to think what her isigka tagilungsod Duterte was trying to say with his crass joke on beautiful women.
Here is a riposte from lawyer Ritz Lee III, the current chair of Amnesty International-Philippines. We were often together during AI’s Annual General Meetings when I was still active in the organization. Ritz hails from Mindanao.
Rape is a crime against a person, says Ritz. It is a form of sexual violence, which is all about power and dominance. To limit our minds with the idea that the issue on rape was primarily incited by the victim’s gender, sexuality, individuality, and/or physical appearance is to add more insult to the injury inflicted to their person by their offender.
He added statements that are strictly victim-blaming, slut-shaming, and/or sexual objectification have never been normalized and acceptable in our society.
That is why rape jokes should never be tolerated simply because rape jokes are on its own a form of sexual violence. It was never acceptable under whatever circumstance uttered by whomever—not even from a highly regarded public officer like our President.
Let us not deliberately ignore the fact that there is a certain degree of decorum expected and required from a public officer. As a high-ranking public official, the President is ought to behave with modesty at all times. He cannot just invoke his individuality and put the blame and/or excuse on his regional humor to cover up the perversity of his statements.
The President is an influencer, and to drop rape jokes on impulse and without any signs of regret or consideration as to its effects not only shows how prevalent gender discrimination and misogyny in the Philippines is but also encourages sociopaths like rapists to act out their criminal minds!
And just to refute the Tatay Digong as his followers address him, “We are from the southern part of the Philippines. We have the so-called ‘humor from the south’ but our humor does not tolerate and include offensive comments like rape jokes!”
I’m with you, Ritz. I have been in Mindanaaoan cities such as Davao, Cotabato, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, met them in Manila and Cebu. I have never EVER heard male colleagues made crude jokes.
(bqsanc@yahoo.com)