Women can’t even take a nap on public commute without some guy feeling them up.
Facebook user Mary Buenaventura shared on Facebook last night about how she was groped by the man sitting next to her in a jeepney. To prove that she — and other harassment victims — are not “asking for it,” she also shared a photo of what she was wearing: a loose black t-shirt and black jeans.
“You suddenly woke up because you felt something warm touch your breast,” she recalled in the caption. “You removed your bag that you used as a pillow, and saw the hand of the guy next to you touching your breast.”
She added the hashtag “#JeepEncounters,” her own version of the #ManilaEncounters hashtag where users share short fictional horror stories set in Manila — only this time, it’s all too real.
“Yep, [it] happened to me a while ago. This goes to show that no matter what you wear, who you are, what age you are, if they want to disrespect your body, they will do it,” she added.
“So tell me, did [I] ask for it? Did my clothes gave (sic) you any hints that [I] wanted it? I don’t think so.”
Her Facebook post had over 13,000 reactions, 1,800 comments, and 9,700 shares as of this article’s posting. Netizens shared their thoughts on the incident.
Maron Liam Madulid tagged a friend and said: “If someone does this to you, tell me immediately.”
Nanet Dickman chimed in: “He needs a smack in the face.”
Gonzales Darius said: “Immediately at (sic) [instantly], give a big walloop (sic) to his face and shout ‘Rapist’!”
Tsuta Ekimae said she “encountered the same thing.”
“I was on my way to school, wearing mg (sic) uniform. I wasn’t able to defend myself because I was scared. I wasn’t able to do anything but cry when I got off the jeep.”
Láncë Harvëy said: “You can never stop an ill mind, you can wear 3 layers of clothing and still have someone stare at you with malicious intent. This is one example as to why we need to stop victim blaming.”
Preach.
Jake Cleff Miano Gacho apologized for Buenaventura’s unpleasant experience. “[T]here’s just stupid people all around the globe. [U]nfortunately you’ve encountered one.”
Unfortunately, incidents like this are not uncommon. In December, a woman aboard a bus took a video of a perv who exposed his penis to her.
Have you ever experienced anything like this while commuting? Leave a comment below or tweet us @CoconutsManila.
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