Catcalling and other forms of sexual violence

Unwanted comments, wolf-whistling, catcalling, groping, stalking, rape, domestic violence ... in the eyes of the law, all such acts are wrong.

The Philippines has several laws against sexual harassment and violence:

• Republic Act No. 9262 (The Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004)
• RA 3815: The Revised Penal Code
• RA 7877: Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995
• RA 8353: Anti-Rape Law of 1997
• RA 8369: The Family Courts Act of 1997
• RA 8505: Rape Victim Assistance and Protection Act of 1998
• RA 9208: The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003
• RA 9710: Magna Carta of Women

Davao City, the hometown of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, also has "The Women Development Code of Davao City" or City Ordinance No. 5004.

Duterte himself created a working group to draft the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Code in 1997. His successor, Davao City Mayor Benjamin de Guzman, approved the 44-page IRR of the Code the following year.

The Code penalizes "cursing, whistling or calling a woman in public with words having dirty connotations or implications which tend to ridicule, humfliate or embarrass the woman such as 'puta,' 'boring,' 'peste,' etc."

However, Duterte was criticized on Wednesday for wolf-whistling at GMA News anchor and reporter Mariz Umali during a nationally-televised press conference.

"It may have been improper from a president-elect but, of course, we will continue to do our job and we are not expecting any apology from him personally," Umali said on "News To Go" on Thursday.

At a press briefing on the same day, Duterte said he did not violate the Women Development Code of Davao City.

He even whistled at a reporter then said, “You do not have any business stopping me. That is a freedom of expression.” 

— Veronica Pulumbarit and Jannielyn Bigtas/RSJ, GMA News