Lorna Kapunan: When women say ‘no’, we mean no

(Updated Jan. 31, 5:09 p.m.)  High-profile lawyer Lorna Kapunan warned Thursday that a simple "no" should be enough to ward off unwanted sexual advances. 

"When women say 'no', we mean no. To claim an attempted rape, you don't even need to struggle," she said in a report on "24 Oras" aired Thursday evening.

She added that even if no intercourse happens, some sexual activity done without consent can still fall under rape.

"(Rape is) the insertion of any instrument, the instrument can be the male organ or it can be any other instruments into any opening (of the body)," Kapunan said.

 

Kapunan said, however, that charges of grave coercion, illegal arrest, blackmail, serious illegal detention, serious physical injury, and grave threat filed by actor-host Vhong Navarro against Deniece Cornejo and several others are equally serious issues that the public must also consider before making harsh judgements or giving nasty comments. 

 

In a separate interview, a lawyer who handles rape cases with womens' group Gabriela said accusing someone of rape is not something that women do lightly.

 

"Hindi madali para sa isang biktima ang lumantad at ilahad ang istorya ng panggagahasa na nagawa laban sa kanya. Yung kanyang privacy ma-aapektuhan," lawyer Alnie Foja said in a phone patch interview on "24 Oras".

 

"Kailangan niya (rape victim) i-consider yung kanyang career, kanyang mga magulang, kanyang mga kaibigan. Namamayani kasi iyong kultura sa atin na meron tayong tendency na mag-victim blaming," Foja added.

 

She said most men who are accused of rape usually claim that their victims even consented to the act. — Elizabeth Marcelo/JDS, GMA News