IF YOU grew up in the Philippines during the ‘90s like me, you probably remember how common it was to hear jokes about rape, harassment, and even pedophilia — on TV, on the radio, in movies, even in everyday conversations. These weren’t whispered in corners. They were broadcast in primetime, said out loud in classrooms, and laughed at in family gatherings.
This was the brand of humor we were raised on. We normalized it because no one taught us otherwise.
Fast forward to today — 2025. You’d think we’ve left that behind. That we’ve grown, evolved, learned. But the truth is more uncomfortable.
This past month alone, several videos went viral of prominent Filipino men—entertainers, politicians, influencers—cracking lewd remarks and making light of sexual violence like it’s part of a comedy skit. Some joke about young girls. Some smirk while recalling harassment. Some, when called out, simply say, “Joke lang naman.”
And their defenders? They say it’s “just for laughs” or “part of Filipino humor,” brushing aside any critique as overreaction or being too “politically correct.” Others dismiss valid concerns as a form of “cancel culture,” not realizing that calling out harmful behavior is not about censorship — it’s about accountability.
But what they fail to understand is this: rape, harassment, and pedophilia have never been funny. We were just never taught to see the harm.
These topics — rape culture, gender-based violence, consent — require real education. Not just in schools, but in our homes, in our barangays, on our feeds. They need to be discussed over and over and over again until the message sinks in: these aren’t jokes. These are crimes that have torn lives apart and caused trauma. These are matters of public safety, public discourse, and basic human dignity. Every time we laugh, share, or stay silent, we become part of the problem.
And yes, believe it or not, many Filipinos still don’t know this.
If you have a microphone, a seat in government, a classroom, or even a dinner table — you have a role to play. You cannot claim ignorance anymore. Not in the age of information. Not when countless survivors have risked their voices to speak out. Not when the consequences of silence are written in every headline about abuse, harassment, and impunity.
We’ve tolerated this for too long. It's time to unlearn what we once accepted as “harmless fun.” This is not about killing humor. It’s about killing the idea that violence is funny. And if we don’t start holding ourselves—and especially our leaders—accountable, then the joke will always be on us.