The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) today said that it is investigating a rape threat made online against singer Frankie Pangilinan, who has spoken against some Filipinos’ habit of blaming sexual assault on victims.
NBI Cybercrime Division chief Victor Lorenzo told ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo that his office has already been told to “look into the issue.”
“We’re just starting the investigation, but we will see where it leads,” Lorenzo said, and added that the threat against the 19-year-old is punishable by up to 12 years in prison according to the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
The singer had earlier called out the Lucban Police station and broadcaster Ben Tulfo for their social media posts in which both said that women should refrain from wearing skin-revealing clothes so they could avoid being raped. Frankie, the daughter of singer Sharon Cuneta and Senator Francis Pangilinan, tweeted that instead of telling women how to dress, people in power should teach men not to rape instead.
After the back-and-forth convo grew traction, Cuneta on Sunday reposted a worrying threat that was made by a certain Sonny Alcos against her daughter, adding that she intends to sue him for the crass and vulgar statement.
Alcos wrote in all caps, “BE THANKFUL, LITTLE GIRL… GO HIDE BEHIND YOUR SENATOR FATHER…BECAUSE I WILL FIND YOU AND RAPE YOU.”
“THEN YOU’LL BLAME YOUR DAD BECAUSE I WON’T BE JAILED,” Alcos claimed.
The post first appeared on the satire page “The DDS Confessions” on Friday, where quotes from Duterte Diehard Supporters, or the president’s loyal fanbase, are reprinted exposé style, and put in the spotlight.
https://www.facebook.com/weareddsconfessions2.0/photos/a.101692034885817/129646115423742/?type=3&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARANh6rjEgJN2EpFUArREgUU-6d3i7kzKIDjEWRS3KcjSzzQs1xiEk0KYpWW_orgx7bFqkZXF6HsFkcTJYHtJbxwVEcm3m4vxjqWtGfLfw4kB2s-zA3F54mzjTY8IP0RxLNm9zg77T-vd-8OaKbYTVWvN5MCAV0vIzpae-c4QnBMgnqCzlsDVpruoDHqlFnkmxA2FJ3KL7K48zK2jLO8TFYuxwuUxrBb2zOor2nYktndB5hvkS2qZqHMCYCgRDLXV6DAUJPYsPLPsRLgOJg_ipYE5_u7M50bUA-jYIswCwuSaZzuSgt-DUx9UfsN62YJsyvv1u5DdAYq4GaBURoKfhM&__tn__=-R
An incensed Cuneta wrote in all caps after reposting the DDS photo, “YOU CROSSED THE LINE. GOD HELP ME AND THE LAW! GOD HELP YOU WHEN I FIND YOU…. YOU MESSED WITH THE WRONG PERSON, DEMON.”
Shortly after being called out for the vulgar tweet, one Rochelle Rodriguez, who was close to Alcos, or Sonny Co, as she called him, defended the sexual assault threat.
“MR CO’s Account was hacked he did not post such remark,” she claimed.
Cuneta rejected the excuse and wrote today on social media, “No, your account was not hacked. This was your original post,” she said, posting a screengrab.
Some Pinoys were equally dubious, with @tr1pnaut1k tweeting, “Right, your account was hacked. No one will believe you.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBuCPFnnqpn/
Some two weeks back, Frankie, who’s currently based in New York, was reproached for her thoughts on victim-blaming by Tulfo, who condescendingly called her “hija” (“little girl”). The 19-year-old used the term against Tulfo, creating the now viral hashtag #hijaako (“I’m a little girl”). Filipinas have since used the phrase to continue the convo on the prevalence of sexual assault in the country.
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