By Vanne Elaine Terrazola
"Teach men not to rape."
Senator Risa Hontiveros reiterated this on Saturday, June 13, after the Lucban, Quezon police told women not to wear revealing and short clothes to avoid sexual harassment.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros (Senator Risa Hontiveros / Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
"There is no dress code for rape. Or for sexual harassment. Instead of teaching women how to dress, we should teach men not to rape," Hontiveros said on Twitter.
The Philippine National Police's Lucban Municipal Police Station in Quezon Province drew flak for posting on its official Facebook page on Thursday, June 11, a public reminded about preventing sex crimes.
While it told the people to respect women and not to "abuse their kindness,” the police station continued on to blame their clothing as a reason for sexual abuse.
"Kayo naman mga ghErlsz (sic), wag kayo magsusuot ng pagkaikli-ikling damit at pag naman nabastos ay magsusumbong in sa amin (Girls, don't wear extremely short clothes that when you get harassed you will report it to us). Isipin nyo rin (Think about it, too)!" the Lucban police said.
The post has since been taken down. PNP officials said Friday that they will investigate the Facebook post.
"Girls and women do not report sex crimes precisely because of the tendency to victim-blame. Let’s retire this thinking," Hontiveros, chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, said.
This was not the first time that police had been slammed for issuing statements that blame victims of rape and harassment.
In 2018, the Angono Municipal Police Station also posted on social media a list of anti-rape tips, which included advice for women not to wear skimpy clothes. The PNP had also vowed to look into the incident.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros (Senator Risa Hontiveros / Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
"There is no dress code for rape. Or for sexual harassment. Instead of teaching women how to dress, we should teach men not to rape," Hontiveros said on Twitter.
The Philippine National Police's Lucban Municipal Police Station in Quezon Province drew flak for posting on its official Facebook page on Thursday, June 11, a public reminded about preventing sex crimes.
While it told the people to respect women and not to "abuse their kindness,” the police station continued on to blame their clothing as a reason for sexual abuse.
"Kayo naman mga ghErlsz (sic), wag kayo magsusuot ng pagkaikli-ikling damit at pag naman nabastos ay magsusumbong in sa amin (Girls, don't wear extremely short clothes that when you get harassed you will report it to us). Isipin nyo rin (Think about it, too)!" the Lucban police said.
The post has since been taken down. PNP officials said Friday that they will investigate the Facebook post.
"Girls and women do not report sex crimes precisely because of the tendency to victim-blame. Let’s retire this thinking," Hontiveros, chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, said.
This was not the first time that police had been slammed for issuing statements that blame victims of rape and harassment.
In 2018, the Angono Municipal Police Station also posted on social media a list of anti-rape tips, which included advice for women not to wear skimpy clothes. The PNP had also vowed to look into the incident.