Twitter has spoken: Are girls really inviting the beast?

Mitzi Santos

June 19, 2020

• 

  It’s 2020 already and women are still expected to wear decent clothes to feel safe and be safe from rapists or sexual predators.

  These predators have been putting the blame on women as to why rape exists. They blame the skin they see when women wear “revealing” clothes. Is this enough reason to justify the existence of rape when it is the mentality of rapists that they should be concerned about?

  One tweet divided the Twitterverse into hijas and those who chose to defend the rapists by blaming the victim when a tweet exchange happened between Frankie Pangilinan and Ben Tulfo.

  Ben Tulfo replied to Frankie’s tweet that says, “Stop teaching girls how to dress?? Teach people not to rape.”

  STOP TEACHING GIRLS HOW TO DRESS?? TEACH PEOPLE NOT TO RAPE. https://t.co/mERzlAqXBm

  — kakie like jackie (@kakiep83) June 12, 2020

  Ben Tulfo’s reply went like this:

  Hija @kakiep83 , a rapist or a juvenile sex offender’s desire to commit a crime will always be there. All they need is an opportunity, when to commit the crime. Sexy ladies, careful with the way you dress up! You are inviting the beast.

  — Ben Tulfo (@bitagbentulfo) June 13, 2020

  The exchange of tweets trended and paved way for women to share their own thoughts and even encounters with these predators as well. Along with these testimonials came the hashtag Hijaako. Hija as the new label for girls who fight for their rights as human beings. How long do they have to fight for their rights?

  Rape has nothing to do, with what you wear and how you act. There’s more to that mentality we should all learn from. And don’t call us “hija” nakakagago po. Please educate yourselves before you even turn your beast mode on which is sick. #HijaAko #EndVictimBlaming #SayNoToRape

  — Dr. Gia Sison (@giasison) June 14, 2020

  Rape is rape.#HijaAko
  ctto pic.twitter.com/wHOeY6MyDu

  — Melissa E. Gohing (@GOHINGMELISSA) June 16, 2020

  Rape exists because of rapists, Ben. #HijaAko https://t.co/CAQx5gXAxi

  — Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) June 14, 2020

  Sexy women are raped.
  Thin women are raped.
  Fat women are raped.
  Even BABIES and ANIMALS are raped.

  Stop thinking it’s about what we wear.
  It’s not about “good” men being tempted by women’s sexy clothing.

  It’s about those men being rapists.
  Educate THEM, not us.#HijaAko

  — Ai dela Cruz (@aidelacruz) June 14, 2020

  i was 17 when a man slipped his hand into my oversized denim jumper. 18, when a man unzipped my large coat to touch me. at 19, i was wearing baggy pants, only still to be groped.

  stop blaming women for their clothes.
  start holding men accountable for their actions.#HijaAko!!!

  — Janina Vela ✨🇵🇭 (@janinavela) June 14, 2020

  Most rape or sexual assault victims was wearing baggy jeans and over-sized shirts when the crime took place yet they were not able to escape being the target of these sexual predators. Rape is rape. Rape exists simply because there are rapists. 

  All these tweets left Frankie Pangilinan in tears seeing all these brave women opening up about their experiences. Sharing a traumatic experience has never been, is never been, and will ever be easy. It takes a lot of courage to accept the fact that you have experienced it and even open it up to anyone.

  been scrolling through #HijaAko for a while and i’m in genuine tears. you’re all so brave and strong and there aren’t words for how deeply i love you.

  — kakie like jackie (@kakiep83) June 14, 2020

  Why blame women when it has always been men who cannot control themselves? For years, women have to adjust to these predators. Rape has never been consensual. It is rape because it was forced. It is a crime.

  Today it’s time for people to stop telling women what to wear and to stop these predators from sexually harassing innocent women instead. Rape is real. Women of all ages can be a victim. This has to stop. Every victim deserves justice and rapists should be put behind bars.

   

• COMMENTS