'Power play' a factor in workplace sexual harassment, senator says

Senator Robin Padilla on Thursday raised concern on how "power play" spurs the occurrence of sexual harassment in the workplace.

"Dapat wala diyan ang power play. Sa aking maiksing pag-aaral sa topic na ito, nakita natin ang sexual harassment ay malamang ang laging pinag-uusapan diyan ay power play. Talagang ang may kapangyarihan [ay] kung sino ang puwede mag-promote o magbigay ng anumang incentive, laging doon bumabagsak," Padilla said.

(Power play should end. In my brief study of the topic, we see many cases of sexual harassment involving power play, involving those who have the power to give promotions or incentives.)

"Kaming artistang nandidito gusto ipaalam sa inyo, nangyayari ang sexual harassment sa industry namin. Marami akong nabasa na kaso nangyayari sa ibang office at government pa at kadalasan sa paaralan," he added.

(I am from the entertainment industry, and I can say sexual harassment occurs not just in our industry but also on other offices and even in governments and schools.)

For Padilla, incidents of sexual harassment perpetrated by employers are "incomparable" to cases perpetrated by company employees.

"Para sa akin eh iba kasi 'yung employer ang bumiktima doon sa employee kasi... may power play na hindi mo maintindihan, may pagka-predator. Iba 'yun eh. Nanggigigil ako doon," he said.

(For me, it is a different case if sexual harassment was done by an employer to an employee. There is power play there. It appears that they are predators. I am angered by such cases.)

The lawmaker raised this during the continuation of the Senate public information and mass media committee's inquiry into the policies of television networks and artist management agencies in relation to complaints of abuse and harassment.

Padilla chairs the Senate panel, which is investigating the alleged abuse by two independent contractors of GMA Network on Sparkle artist Sandro Muhlach.

The two contractors, Richard Cruz and Jojo Nones, have denied the sexual harassment allegations hurled against them, but senators expressed belief that there was "strong evidence" against them. — VDV, GMA Integrated News