by Nina Somera

By now, a lot of people are cringing over the Philippine President’s predatory kiss to a Filipino migrant worker during his State visit in South Korea. But what if it were Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who smooched the woman on stage in front of the cameras? The Prime Minister was adored as an #APEChottie during his 2015 Manila visit. His boyish smile, toned body, gentle demeanour and crisp outfit make quite a foil against a geriatric, unkempt, foul-mouthed, and philandering fellow Head of State, who has mandated the murder of 20,000 suspected drug users ^[1]. But would handsomeness and hunkiness render the act less predatory?

It is the sense of privilege that makes people misuse and abuse power. Some younger and buff men have also been accused of sexual assault in North America, alongside Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby and Charlie Rose. There seems to be a greater sense of disbelief and shock when names of clean-shaven and casual-talking men like James Franco and Matt Lauer came up. But this is the danger when we stereotype, gender-based violence, its perpetrators and survivors. And nothing can be more challenging when abuse happens in the midst of otherwise safe, wholesome and fun contexts, when the abuse becomes a spectacle that is juxtaposed with beauty, charisma, humour, fiesta and other similar elements and spaces, where we typically let our guards down.

The cheers among the crowd while Duterte are quite telling. Note that majority of Filipinos overseas voted for Duterte, encouraged by his Dirty Harry approach as a mayor in his hometown of Davao City.

The cheers were an indication of just how easy a single performance can undermine hard-won gains in human rights and culture.

While Duterte was said to have asked permission from the Filipino migrant worker, who could refuse a man whose power one’s life literally depends on, one’s last hope should her employers maltreats her, should Korean authorities arrest her and should the Philippine embassy ignore her calls? Although 2.3 million Filipino migrant workers ^[2] are responsible for at least USD28 billion in remittances ^[3], much remains to be desired with the assistance and protection extended by the Philippine government, even in times of crisis. In 2018 alone, the increasing number of deaths of OFWs pressured government to temporarily suspend labour migration in Kuwait ^[4]

Moreover, Duterte never really asked the woman’s consent. He was overheard her saying ^[5]: "Dalaga ka? Hindi naman kayo hiwalay? Pero kaya mo sabihin na biro lang ito?" (Are you single? You're not separated from him? But you can tell him that this is just a joke?).” The President was essentially asking whether her partner would give his consent as though she was his property. Whether or not this was his exact language, succeeding official statements only legitimised the disturbing action of the President and its horrendous impact to generations who would be able to view the clip and read the explanation of the Palace, that “it was a playful act in the culture of Filipinos.” ^[6]

Duterte has violated the Philippine Magna Carta of Women (MCW), including several laws on women’s leadership, sexual harassment and other forms of GBV so many times. He was candid in admitting women as threats when placed in leadership. He defended rather than apologised for his jokes on rape. He announced with conviction that women rebels must be shot in their vaginas. No accountability has never been exacted from him.

The MCW and other laws on women’s rights and gender equality took decades of organising, policy advocacy, campaigns and research that significantly drew substance and inspiration from the very women and girls whose lives were destroyed by their partners, parents, relatives and other people who were supposed to protect them. But it has only taken a misogynist and his spectators a few minutes to undo these gains.

Women’s spirits are broken as spectacles and cultures are turned against us. Now more than ever, we need to keep our guards up.

Nina Somera is a board member of Isis International, a Southern feminist communications organisation and the Foundation for Media Alternatives, which runs angpangako.net, a data map that tracks extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration. She is among the 2018 Global Leadership fellows of Coady Institute in St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Canada.

References, in case of cross-checking:

[1] Ted Regencia for Aljazeera (2018)), “Senator: Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war has killed 20,000” 

[2] Philippine Statistical Authority (nd), “Statistical Tables on Overseas Filipino Workers”

[3] Bianca Curesma (2018), "OFW remittances hit USD 28.1 billion in 2017."

[4] Gillan Ropero (2018), “OFW deployment in Kuwait suspended amid the deaths of 7 Pinoys”

[5] Rappler (2018). "Cheers, disgusts as Duterte kisses OFW in South Korea."

[6] Nestor Corrales (2018). "Palace on Duterte kissing an OFW: It’s a playful act accepted in Filipino culture.”