Sen. Jinggoy Estrada stressed that he has no intention to shame the victims of abuse
Senator Jinggoy Estrada released a statement as his reaction to the victim blaming accusation against him because of how he asked questions to celebrities Sandro Muhlach and Gerald Santos.
Sandro and Gerald were invited to the Senate hearing held by the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media for the discussion of Policies of Television Networks and Artist Management Agencies in Relation to Complaints of Abuse and Harassment.
The online community criticized Sen. Jinggoy because, for them, the lawmaker sounded “insensitive” when he was asking questions. He was accused of victim blaming and putting them in a shameful situation.
Seasoned broadcaster Karen Davila even shared her reminder for lawmakers. She pointed out that abuse victims are going through a difficult time and it was not easy for them to recall the traumatic experience they had.
Karen reminded the Senators to “stop victim blaming.” In a Kapihan Sa Senado public briefing on August 22, based on the article in PEP, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada was asked about Karen Davila’s tweet.
The lawmaker read the written statement he prepared. Sen. Jinggoy said that he understands that his recent questioning received “harsh,” “insensitive,” and “apathetic” comments.
He stressed that it was never his intention to “victim blame or humiliate those who have come out to disclose the tragic realities happening in the movie industry or entertainment industry.”
Sen. Jinggoy also said that his “passionate approach” came from his frustration that this kind of situation has been happening in the industry. The lawmaker stressed that he has a high respect and understanding for people like Sandro and Gerald who experienced abuse from their “bosses.”
He added that being in the entertainment industry, he knows that this kind of incident is rampant but victims are scared to share their experiences. The lawmaker also said that he has no intention of disregarding the victims’ feelings but he will not tolerate the alleged abusive acts of those in authority.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said that he is willing to accept bashing and negative comments about him if the result of this is that people will be more aware of this situation in the industry and other sectors.
He also clarified that he had a private conversation with Gerald and the singer-actor asked for help as he wanted to file a case. The lawmaker also said that he was not angry with Sandro but with his lawyer. It is because he thought that the young actor was already willing to narrate what happened to him but his lawyer stopped him from speaking.