PHL Commission on Women condemns rape jokes as tasteless, revolting

Saying they serve as models for the youth, the government's policy-making body on women on Thursday called on media personalities not to "glorify" rape or spread the idea that rape victims deserved to be attacked.

The Philippine Commission on Women's (PCW) call came in the wake of a row involving rape jokes made by comedian Vice Ganda during his comedy concert last May 17, which have been roundly criticized.

In a statement, PCW asked workers in the entertainment and media industries to practice self-censorship regarding jokes about rape.

"PCW calls upon comedians, artists, writers, directors, producers, workers in the entertainment industry, news anchors and other media practitioners to practice censorship, sensitivity to feelings, and gender responsiveness. Many, especially the youth, view them as models," it said.

"Let us not glorify rape or perpetuate the idea that rape victims are responsible for their own attacks," it added.

The Philippine Commission on Women is a government advisory body to the President and the Cabinet on policies for the advancement of women.

"We express our grave concern over the tasteless and revolting rape jokes which Vice Ganda jested during his May 17 concert at the Araneta Coliseum," the PCW statement said.

Among Vice Ganda's comic targets was GMA news anchor Jessica Soho, about whom the comedian concocted a gang rape punch line.

On Wednesday, he apologized to Soho on his noontime program. Soho acknowledged the apology in a statement, saying "I sincerely hope and pray that this was done with the purest intentions and determination to put this issue behind us."

Trivializing rape

The PCW, in its statement, "condemns human rights violations and trivializing rape and other forms of abusive behavior."

"Rape is a gross violation of human rights, a crime against persons, an abhorrent assault on individual freedom. It should never be a material for a comedy concert. No one, regardless of a person's social status, age, physical appearance, mental capacity or disability deserves to be raped," it added.

The PCW noted many rape cases go unreported because victims are shamed and rape is trivialized.

Citing figures from 2004 to 2012, it said rape cases reported to the Philippine National Police (PNP) accounted for 9.6 percent of total reported violence against women (VAW) cases.

National Statistics Office data from the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey likewise indicated that 9 percent of women aged 15-49 have experienced sexual violence.

"Rape jokes hurt women who are suffering or may have suffered from the trauma of rape. It is not a laughing matter," it said.

It added the repercussions of rape jokes are serious and damaging, as women’s and even men’s vulnerabilities are exploited, all in the name of humor.

"Victim-survivors once more recount their horrible experiences and relive the pain," it said.

Earlier, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board said it will call the attention of television networks to what it called the migration of so-called comedy bar humor to television. — LBG, GMA News