I stand by those who say that rape is not a joke -- it is a
crime, a violation of human rights, a cruel act that bring negative impact on
the life of its victim. What bothers me is the fact that there were people who
laughed at it. The thought of someone being raped -- or gang-raped for that
matter is not something to laugh about, no matter how ridiculous a person looks
or how bad a human being that person is. No one wants and no one deserves to be
raped -- no matter how a person appears, how a person dresses up, what a person
does for a living, what social strata a person comes from -- whoever the rapist
is.
I condemn the tasteless and cruel act, but not the totality
of the person who did it. I know that what Vice Ganda did was wrong, but I do
not know him personally and I do not know his life story so I won’t
judge him apart from the joke that he played on Ms. Jessica Soho. I wish
concerned people, fellow advocates and all those who felt bad about the
incident would point out the bad that he person has done, but never wish or
curse that something even worst would happen to him, for if we do that, how can
we face the world and say that we know better about human rights, that we are
more just, mature and rational?
I admire and give my hats off to GMA 7’s Ms. Jessica Soho for her statement which I quote: "I thank all those who
shared my hurt and expressed their support, but this should not be about me but
about rape victims who suffer tremendously from this terrible crime. The
horrors they go through are unspeakable and should never be taken lightly,
especially by way of a cruel joke." [Emphasis supplied]. Only a rational
person oozing with self-respect and dignity can stay calm, dig deeper into the
core of the issue, and be able to turn the situation into something that
hopefully, will make people realize the immeasurable negative impact of rape as
a crime against persons.
Before finally posting this entry, I browsed through ABS CBN’s website to check if Vice has issued any statement regarding this, but what is
featured there is about him saying sorry to the network management for his long
absence – it is because he went to the province to be with his Lolo. As I have
said above, I do not know his life story – somehow, I believe that there is goodness
and love inside him, and maybe the reason behind that disappearing act is proof
to that soft spot.
I could only hope that Vice will have another realization,
this time about the gang-rape joke. I hope he will be responsible and brave
enough to apologize publicly, and inform the public that rape violates a person
and no one deserves to suffer such cruel act. He too, can come out and speak
against the crime because whether people who despise him accept it or not, he
has his own power to influence people – young and old alike, so I hope he can use
that power to become a positive influence for those who watch and listen to
him.#
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