Beauty ‘not reason to rape women’
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma agrees with President Rodrigo Duterte — there are many beautiful women in the country.
But the 68-year-old prelate said rape is not the proper response to the presence of many beautiful women. Instead, respect should be given to them and everyone else, he added.
“I know daghan mga rason pero I'm not saying beautiful girls are tempting people to rape them,” Palma told reporters Friday after officiating a Mass that launched the Seasons of Creation, a call for all Christians to unite and pray for all creation.
Palma was reacting to Duterte's latest remarks about women that had earned flak from various quarters, including GabrielaCebu and Cebu Urban Poor Women's League, among others.
Addressing a crowd in Mandaue City on Thursday as part of the city's 49th Charter Day anniversary, Duterte said there are many rape cases in Davao City because there are many beautiful women there.
“Ingon sila nga daghang rape ang Davao. Basta daghang gwapa, daghang rape gyud na,” Duterte said.
In fact, he remarked on PNP's disclosure of statistics tagging the city as having the highest in rape cases.
But Palma did not subscribe to the idea that beauty and promiscuity, as expressed in the way women dress, are justified grounds to exploit them.
He said there are other reasons why rape occurs, including the use of illegal drugs by the suspects.
To the women, Palma left a piece of advice: “Try to live in such a way nga people will look at us as decent people. Dili ingon nga we should be promiscuous.”
The General Assembly Binding Women for Reforms, Integrity, Equality, Leadership, and Action (GABRIELA) in Cebu earlier expressed its condemnation over the "macho-fascist" statement of the president.
It cited that Duterte has perpetuated the worsening culture in the country where rape cases continue to be prevalent.
GABRIELA-Cebu emphasized that committing rape has nothing to do with the rapists' expression of affection towards the victims or the latter's appeal and beauty.
“Rape has nothing to do with what a woman wears, her moral beliefs, religious beliefs, political affiliations or class origin. Rape is nothing short of invoking one's power against women's inherent agency and inalienable dignity,” it stated.
The organization denounced the president for continuously throwing antiwomen statements since he campaigned for his post.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate committee on women, said that Duterte should stop blaming women and how they look and dress for the growing number of rape cases.
In a statement, Hontiveros said that beauty doesn't cause rape; rapists do.
“Rape is the fault of the rapist and it is very disturbing to see a president who makes jokes about rape,” the senator said.
Hontiveros said rape is not a measure of beauty and not an act of admiration. It is the vilest form of violence against women, she said.
“To those who defend it by calling it a joke, and by telling us not to give it too much weight, I can assure you that no rape victim or survivor, no woman – since every woman is at risk in this rape culture – ever finds it funny,” Hontiveros said.