黑料社

A day after the Angono police apologized for posting antirape tips that were regarded as putting the blame on victims, the Philippine National Police said it would be 鈥渦pdating鈥� its anticriminality guidelines.

In a statement on Friday, Senior Supt. Benigno Durana, PNP spokesperson, said that while the Angono police had 鈥済ood initiative鈥� and 鈥渕eant well,鈥� he cited the need for 鈥済ender-blind self-education鈥� to become part of rape prevention campaigns.

鈥淏oth men and women ought to know that no means no, that rape is a serious crime, and that they can go to jail if they violate another person鈥檚 human rights,鈥� he added.

According to Durana, 鈥渢he updated rape prevention guidelines should include early education of male and female teenagers on rape as a crime, and raising awareness of newer and more dangerous date-rape drugs such as GHB, MDMA and ecstasy.鈥�

From July 2017 to June this year, the PNP recorded a total of 6,999 rape cases, although this was lower by 23.96 percent compared to the 9,204 cases recorded from July 2016 to June 2017.

Earlier, the Angono police took down the rape prevention tips posted on its official Facebook page following widespread criticism from netizens, women鈥檚 groups and public officials at what they viewed as 鈥渧ictim-blaming.鈥�

Controversial tips聽

Among the tips perceived as laying the blame squarely on victims were the following:

Don鈥檛 wear short dresses.

Don鈥檛 walk by yourself in a dark place.

If you鈥檙e going on a date, don鈥檛 drink alcohol.

Earlier this week, Sen. Risa Hontiveros pointed out that 鈥渃lothes don鈥檛 cause rape, rapists do.鈥�

鈥淲hile the intention of the information material may be good, it promotes victim-blaming by asking women to conform to a particular way of dressing in order to be respected and avoid being raped,鈥� she said in a statement.

Educate the public

鈥淚nstead of 鈥榯eaching鈥� women how to dress 鈥榓ppropriately鈥� and limit our choices, our police force should help in educating the public, especially men, that forcing themselves upon women is unacceptable and constitutes rape,鈥� she added.

Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas also called the post a 鈥渃lassic case of victim-blaming and gross misinformation on rape.鈥�

In a statement, the Angono police said it only wanted women to avoid becoming victims of sexual assault.

鈥淎s they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,鈥� it added.

Supt. Ruben Piquero, Angono police chief, said the antirape post was lifted from leaflets being distributed by his men as part of their anticrime awareness program.