MANILA, Philippines – Broadcast journalist Karen Davila called out to lawmakers to stop the blame game on victims of abuse especially in a public forum like a congressional hearing.
On Twitter, Davila made an open letter to lawmakers to “stop victim blaming” and “treat victims with compassion and sensitivity.”
“Reliving a traumatic experience is horrific, more so in a public hearing.,” she said.
Davila retweeted a report about Sen. President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada being criticized for being “harsh” on self-confessed sexual abuse victims Sandro Muhlach and Gerald Santos in the Senate committee on public information and mass media hearing.
“Stop barraging, asking ‘why did it take you 5 years? You should have filed a complaint immediately,’” she said, quoting lawmakers’ usual questions to victims.
Davila said this is so because “victims are scared. They feel ashamed.”
Muhlach is at the center of a Senate inquiry on the alleged abuses taking place in the media industry. He alleges that GMA contractors Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz sexually molested him after the GMA Gala event.
Shortly after news about Muhlach’s abuse came out, Santos surfaced too and with his own experience when he was 15 years old. He said he was “raped” by his then musical director.
