Senator Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla on Tuesday encouraged students who fell victim to sexual harassment in schools--as well as their parents--to speak up against the offense and the offenders.
Padilla made the call at the hearing of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, where he lauded Jerom Canlas for detailing his ordeal at the Philippine High School for the Arts.
"Gusto ko lang po saluduhan si Sir Jerom. Ikaw ang bayani dito (I want to salute Sir Jerom - you are the hero). Pinagtatanggol mo rito ang mga bata. Napakaganda ng ginawa mo at magkaroon sana ng lakas loob ang mga magulang din na ang mga anak nila ay biktima na magsalita at mag-file ng kaso (By narrating your experience, you have protected many children. What you did was very good and I hope other students and their parents will have the courage to speak up and file the appropriate charges)," Padilla told Canlas.
"Tandaan natin hindi ito magaan, mga bata ito. Bata ito. Yan ang gusto ko ipaintindi, bata ito, bata ang mga biktima dito, walang kamalay malay, anghel ang mga ito (Let us remember that this is a heavy subject because this involves innocent angels)," he added.
During the hearing, Canlas narrated the abuses he underwent while studying at the Philippine High School for the Arts.
Canlas earlier called for justice through his Twitter account.
Padilla said it is painful to learn that such harassment is being committed against youths because they might carry this burden for the rest of their lives.
"Napakahirap nitong limutan pagka naging biktima ka ng ganitong klaseng abuse (If you become a victim of such abuse, it will be hard to forget). Ito ay mauuwi sa mental health problem, may pangyayaring di ka makatulog dito. Hindi ito maging magaan sa atin lalo sa law enforcement (This may lead to mental health problems. This is quite a burden, especially for law enforcement)," he said.
Also, Padilla stressed that under the Safe Spaces Act of 2019, anyone who has knowledge of an incident could file a complaint for harassment, to protect the privacy of a minor.
"Sana ay mabigyan ng attention at protection ang bata. Nariyan na batas kung di natin gagamitin (I hope our youths can be given the appropriate attention and protection. This is in the law)," he said.
Meanwhile, Padilla reminded schools of the stigma of sexual abuse and sexual harassment, which he has seen in the entertainment industry.
He said schools should foster a new culture and new image for the arts, for future generations of Filipino artists.
Padilla said he would write Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte to ensure safe spaces in schools.
"Gagawa ako personal na sulat kay Madam VP patungkol dito (I will personally write to the Vice President about this)," he said.