Frankie Pangilinan calls for end to victim-blaming culture

Frankie Pangilinan continues to speak up for all survivors of sexual harassment and call for an end to the culture of victim-blaming in the country.

“Kasalanan po iyon ng rapist and it’s as simple as that. Kung wala pong mga rapist, wala pong rape,” Frankie told Sandra Aguinaldo on “24 Oras” Tuesday.

“To change that thinking, you have to change the culture,” she added.

Just recently, Frankie called out the Lucban Municipal Police Station for telling girls to stop wearing short clothes to prevent sex crimes.

She Frankie said that instead of teaching girls how to dress, they should teach people not to rape. 

Shortly after that, #HijaAko trended on Twitter after Frankie used it in response to TV and radio personality Ben Tulfo, who addressed her as “hija” in his tweets, saying, “Sexy ladies, be careful how you dress up! You are inviting the beast.” 

Despite receiving negative comments from bashers after she called out people who put the blame on the victims, Frankie said, “Kung mas bata po ako, I’m speaking for my generation. We need the culture to change.”

“Any annoyance that I might feel po from the comments and bashing and things like that, it won’t compare to the pain that I’m, that so many women who were abused, so many women were sexually assaulted, so many people who were sexually assaulted [felt].”

University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies director Dr. Nathalie Lourdes Africa Verceles also said there was a need to change the culture.

“Ang dapat talagang binabago ay ang kultura na ang mga lalaki ay patuloy na parang may pagtanaw pa rin sila, na meron silang kapangyarihan sa mga katawan ng mga kababaihan, na ang mga babae ang may kasalanan,” she shared. – RC, GMA News