The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is “gravely disturbed” by the purportedly “humorous” prank social media videos that promote sexual abuse and exploitation as well as violate human rights.
"Human rights violations, even those masked by humor, remain to be manifestations of violations and abuse, and should never be a laughing matter,” the CHR said in a statement issued by Executive Director Jacqueline Ann de Guia.
The CHR was referring to social media videos where their content creators set up hidden cameras in public spaces. Men would then lay their heads on women's laps, hold their hands out of nowhere, catcall women, and solicit kisses while citing a number of made-up reasons, it said.
De Guia said these incidents should not be brushed aside as attempts to be humorous because they violate the right to privacy, security, and safety - especially the rights of women and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA) community.
"One cannot use humor to mask attempts to demean, assault, and abuse others through unwarranted sexual advances. This is how gender-based violence is normalized -- by depicting it as commonplace, innocent, and acceptable," she said.
The CHR, she also said, reiterates that people cannot exercise their rights at the expense of other people’s rights. “As individuals enjoy their rights, they also have the obligation to respect and uphold the rights of others,” she added.
Given these pranks, the CHR has called on relevant government agencies, such as the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, to investigate possible violations of pertinent laws.
"Businesses as well, including social media platforms, have an obligation to prevent violations by refusing to be accessories of harm and indignity in tolerating such contents," De Guia said.
Earlier, the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) called on appropriate agencies to investigate “erring” content creators that promote sexual harassment, child abuse, and exploitation.
The PCW pointed out that a concerned citizen brought to its attention “a social media page and video streaming platform channel that produces prank videos with various pranks showing the creators suddenly holding the hands of unsuspecting women in public, laying their heads onto women’s laps, and catcalling people,”
It said these pranks can be interpreted as acts “bordering” sexual harassment, adding that these types of videos tend to “normalize demeaning behaviors” and promote the belief that entering women’s personal space is reasonable.
“Acts done in the streets and public spaces and committed through any unwanted and uninvited sexual actions or remarks against any person regardless of the motive for committing such action can come under the purview of gender-based sexual harassment,” the PCW stressed.