#HijaAko trends on Twitter as netizens speak up against victim blaming

The hashtag #HijaAko has been trending on Twitter Sunday, after Frankie Pangilinan used it in response to TV and radio personality Ben Tulfo, who addressed her "hija"  in his tweets, saying "a sex offender's desire to commit a crime will always be there."

According to Tulfo, all the sex offenders need is "an opportunity, when to commit the crime. "

"Sexy ladies, careful with the way you dress up! You are inviting the beast," he added. 

Retweeting Tulfo's statement, Frankie listed down three important points on the matter:

• Rape culture is real and a product of this precise line of thinking, where the behavior is normalized, particularly by men.
• The way any person dresses should not be deemed as ‘opportunity’ to sexually assault them. ever.
• Calling me hija will not belittle my point.

Frankie then started using the hashtag, even changing her Twitter name to "Hija" to encourage people to be stronger than their abusers and to fight victim blaming.

As of this writing, #HijaAko has generated over 27,000 tweets from netizens who are all speaking up against victim blaming and revealing their own horror sexual assault stories.

tw: r***

7 years old: i was sleeping, in my usual pajamas. my late teenage cousin barged in, removed everything, and then he started doing it.

20 years old: i was sleeping in some pair of sportswear. my trusted colleague lay beside me, and then he started doing it. #HijaAko

— a white genderless giraffe (@bicolexpresses) June 14, 2020

i was 17 when a man slipped his hand into my oversized denim jumper. 18, when a man unzipped my large coat to touch me. at 19, i was wearing baggy pants, only still to be groped.

stop blaming women for their clothes.
start holding men accountable for their actions.#HijaAko!!!

— Janina Vela ????????? (@janinavela) June 14, 2020

i was 11 when a man touched my boobs twice while i was sleeping in a bus. i was 13 when a man masturbated beside me in a public transportation.

it was traumatizing and it affected my mental health badly. there's no day i wasn't afraid to ride a public transpo again. #HijaAko

— sunday, problematic era (@superiorjonas) June 14, 2020

[tw sexual harassment]

I knew I didn't like how the phantom of his touch stayed between my thighs long after his fingers left my skin. I just didn't understand why.

I was a 2nd grader... in my school uniform.

Fuck victim-blamers. Putang ina niyo. #HijaAko, hija pa lang ako.

— aubrey beatrice (@chaubreybunny) June 14, 2020

i was in jhs, w the long skirts & button-up blouses, when i was first victimized by boys around campus (& boys inside the classroom). moved to manila, learned to commute, & eventually groped in an mrt wearing jeans & a hoodie.

u don’t get to say it’s on what we wear :) #HijaAko

— NRB #JunkTerrorBillNOW (@_nikolrb) June 14, 2020

It took me a long time to develop a voice and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent. I'll say this again– my clothes do not determine my consent. I dress for ME, and I am NOT asking for anything. #HijaAko !!! pic.twitter.com/yWfbcdrcVs

— A (@alexeexo) June 14, 2020

i was 17 grocery shopping with my mom, when the man restocking the shelves suddenly leaned down and groped me. take note, i was wearing pj PANTS. i wasn't showing skin or anything. and even if i was, i'm not an object you can reach out and touch whenever you please. #HijaAko

— ?? (@pauwuie) June 14, 2020

tried to draw my own vogue #HijaAko pic.twitter.com/CzsJWhRQHC

— M.E. (@Mjj_Julliana) June 14, 2020

3 years ago, i was sexually harassed by a gov’t official while performing. I was wearing long sleeves and pants.

Stop blaming women for what they wear! Stop thinking like a rapist. #HijaAko https://t.co/vNCVYoV0Gf

— ? (@_janinetenoso) June 14, 2020

I was 10 when a man slipped his hand inside my clothes. I was wearing sweatpants.

I was 17 when a man touched my chest while I was sleeping. I was wearing a long sleeve shirt.

I was 18 when a man slipped his hand in my pants. I was wearing jeans.

Stop. blaming. women. #HijaAko

— Tina ?????‍???? (@inaurner) June 14, 2020

Imagine Ben Tulfo telling the cow to dress properly. ????#HijaAko pic.twitter.com/HM8pHCje6i

— Jepoy (Alt account) (@balasubas__) June 14, 2020

Frankie spoke up against victim blaming on social media, after Lucban Municipal Police Station warned girls not to wear short clothes to prevent sex crimes.

On Saturday, PNP chief General Archie Francisco Gamboa directed the Directorate for Police Community Relations to look into the matter.

The Lucban PNP Facebook page was found shut down earlier on Sunday morning. — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News