Rape Culture in the Philippines

A couple of years ago, there was this post on Tumblr that went viral. And we all know how Tumblr is. Its a community
of weird and crazy people, pretty much like Reddit, only more brilliant and sarcastic. So there was this user,
rabbitsandwolves, who posted news about a rapist set on fire by his victims family and in just a few minutes, it
garnered a lot of attention. And while it was not supposed to be a laughing matter as the rapist actually burned to
death, comments were so brilliant and relevant that it people actually shared it. Some went like, Well, he was sorta
asking for it, dressing in such flammable clothing. and If he didnt want to get set on fire, he should have stayed
indoors. to quote a few. Every now and then, I find this post resurfacing again, getting shared by a lot of people,
much like its initial reception. Eventually, curiosity got the best of me and I started looking for its backstory.
The story was about a 25-year-old woman from Nigehara, India raped by a 38-year-old man at knifepoint. Although
he was caught and jailed, a month later he was released on bail. Just when he thought he actually got away with it,
he was lured by the family of the victim into a trap and was burned to death. The rape victims family was of course
charged with murder and was imprisoned with a sentence much longer and bail much higher than that of the now
victim. And that was how the story ended. There were no other updates which suggest that its something trivial.
Now there isnt anything special about it. It happens all the time, not only in India, but in everywhere around the
globe. But what caught my attention is the reception of the people who read the post. Would people have reacted the
same way a hundred years ago?
Violence and crime against women have a long history and has changed significantly throughout the years. The
Philippines is a country that was conquered time and time again by colonizers that were of patriarchal societies,
which had significant influence to the society even until now. Then, it was believed that women were worth only as
much as their sexual chastity. Religion played a big part on the structuring of gender roles. For more than 300 years
of being a colony of Spain, Christianity became our idea of righteousness. And as much I believe that God wouldve
wanted equality, parts of the Bible subtly promoted otherwise. Wives are to be subject to their own husbands. Adam
was superior to Eve. Women were referred to as weaker vessels of the grace of life. The idea of superiority over
women alongside righteousness became the foundation of male entitlement and privilege. And one of the many
manifestations of which is rape.
During the rise of feminist movements on the 1960s, rape was defined as a mechanism for maintaining male
domination, a violent means of inducing fear in women and reinforcing their subordination to men. People often
miscomprehend the definition of rape, hence its ubiquity. However, Id like to believe otherwise. Rape is defined
clearly and without ambiguities: any act of sexual intercourse through the use of force, threat, or intimidation, without
the consent of the victim, unconscious, or those deprived of reason. Education, however, still factors in. While you do
not need a degree to understand the concept, being in an environment that is bounded by a set of rules helps in the

foundation of morality, respect, and interpersonal relationship. You need education to, not only understand, but to
acknowledge that you have no right over the things that are not yours.
Rape culture in the context of the Philippines is an issue that is getting out of control but is barely given significance.
Day to day experiences, involving or not, the act of rape itself is part of the culture. It is the majority of the population
believing that reporting street harassment is an overreaction and that catcalling is just an expression of the freedom
of speech. It is the people that enjoy songs about sexuality and submissiveness and think that it is cool. It is the
people thinking that wearing sexy clothes is provocative, and therefore, women secretly want sex. It is the few people
that actually think its better for lesbians to be raped and have kids, because being different is a sin far greater than
rape. In light of recent news, it is the presidential candidate who joked about a rape victim who actually died on her
mission of spreading the good news. It is the many people who actually thought it was funny, and that hed make a
great leader. Rape culture is not limited to the poor and unrepresented. It exists across all the social classes, and that
makes it harder to battle.
Rape is not just a sin that is punishable by going to hell, but a crime punishable by law. We are a country governed
by laws and no one, not even celebrities nor politicians, should be above it. Its funny how some men compare
themselves to animals, that boys will be boys, and that theres nothing they can do about it. These primitive-thinking
people dont even deserve the respect that wild animals earn.
The government has got to have the biggest accountability in addressing rape culture. Access to education, which
could help in the foundation of good moral character, is a struggle for the masses. Laws on rape and other things that
might lead to it, such as alcohol and drugs, exist, but are poorly implemented. Saying that, change starts within us
is a far-fetched solution and is actually a lame excuse for ineffectiveness. Its difficult to trust a judiciary system run by
basically the seven deadly sins.
Lets say that change indeed starts within us. What can we do? For starters, DO NOT RAPE. It has to be obvious by
now that rape is caused entirely by the rapist, nothing more, and nothing less. It would also be a great start to get
ourselves involved in various womens rights movements, such as GABRIELA, and not whine that there isnt a mens
rights movement. Lastly, acknowledge that rape, or any form of sexual harassment is just plain wrong. Rape jokes
are not funny at all. Just think of your girlfriend or wife or mother. Would you want it to happen to them? Think of
them being sexually harassed. Can you even imagine it? If there isnt any woman in your life, just think of yourself.
Would you want it to happen to you?

Id like to go back to the post that went viral on Tumblr. It got me thinking, who was really to blame? Was it a death
justifiable, a death well-deserved? I dream of a time that women in our society can walk the streets without the fear of
being harassed, a time that they can wear whatever it is that they want without being called a whore and asking for it.
I dream of a time that men give women the respect they rightfully deserve.

Bibliography

AN ACT EXPANDING THE DEFINITION OF THE CRIME OF RAPE, RECLASSIFYING THE SAME AS A CRIME
AGAINST PERSONS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE ACT NO. 3815, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS
THE REVISED PENAL CODE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. The LawPhil Project. 30 September 1997. Web. 10
May 2016.

Patricia L. N. Donat and John DEmilio. "A Feminist Redefinition of Rape and Sexual Assault: Historical Foundations
and Change." Slut Walk Discussion. 1992. Web. 10 May 2016.

Rabbits and Wolves. Tumblr. N.d. Web. 10 May 2016.

1 Peter 3:1-7. Bible Hub. N.d. Web. 10 May 2016.

Naveen, P. Rapist Burned to Death by Victim in MP. The Times of India. 6 September 2013. Web. 10 May 2016.

Warren, Rossalyn. Tumblr Users Had A Genius Reaction To This Story Of A Woman Who Lit Her Rapist On Fire.
BuzzFeed.18 March 2015. Web. 10 May 2016.

GABRIELA Philippines: Standing Firm for Womens Causes. GABRIELA Alliance of Filipino Women. N.d. Web. 10
May 2016.

Ridgway, Shannon. 25 Everyday Examples of Rape Culture. Everyday Feminism. 10 March 2014. Web. 10 May
2016.

Outline:

Definition of rape
Background 1 paragraph
What is the trend in ph
Could it be poverty and lack of government support? Cite Japan

Its all about morality and consent.

Mixed signals
Feeling of entitlement
Why do people think they are more privileged than others
Past present future of rape culture
Rape is always the fault of the rapist