Cover image via GMA
Actress Rhian Ramos shares her story of sexual harassment and every woman knows her pain
Rhian told her followers on Instagram what had transpired a few nights before posting. She went out with friends since she has not been out for months because of work.
She then told a story of a man who suddenly groped her behind.
"Two nights ago, a friend invited me out, and because I had been turning everyone down for the past four months (as I had been working on a show) I decided to go,"
"On the same night, some guy was out, partying a little too hard and goes up to me and squeezes my rear."
A sexual assault would leave the strongest of women paralyzed. You would think you'd know what to do in a situation like this but when it happens to you, all you can do is cry.
"I always used to think of myself as a strong enough girl that if the day ever came that someone would do this to me, I'd fight back. Honestly, it's different when you're already in that situation. I was stunned and didn't know what to do. Naiyak lang ako."
Image via Rappler
The worst part was, after being confronted by Rhian's friends, the guy did not admit to the groping
"I told my 2 guy friends about what happened. The first talked to the guy, came back to me and said 'hindi daw siya yung gumawa nun'. This made me feel even worse! So my 2nd friends stepped in and asked if I wanted the guy thrown out."
"I said I wanted an apology. He brought him to me and he kneeled down and apologized."
"This didn't make me feel any better. It was a 'sorry I got caught, not sorry I did that' kind of situation."
And if that wasn't enough, upon leaving, the same guy squeezed her again and ran out!
She tried to run after the man but the security guards told her that it was too late and he had drove his car off.
"What did I do to ask for this?"
She questioned herself and what she was wearing. Which were slacks and a loose top. She did not make eye contact with the man in question.
"I realized EVEN IF I had been scantily dressed, it is NOT the woman's fault that a guy would treat her that way. "
"I couldn't understand why a man would feel the entitlement to touch a woman without her consent."
"I hated him more for making me question myself."
She found out who the man was and was shocked to find out that he is a family-man who has daughters!
For the children's sake, she will keep the name anonymous. The only hint is that he is from Cebu. She will be speaking with him soon.
"I want to speak to all the people that this situation represents. To remind women to not question themselves, to remind fathers to think about what they would do if someone had touched their daughters."
She also hopes that Sexual and Street Harassment will be penalized not only in Quezon City but the rest of the Philippines.
