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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Ismula on lawyer Topacio's 'rape fantasy' remark: 'Bakit hindi pa to nadi-disbar?'

Ismula on lawyer Topacio's 'rape fantasy' remark: 'Bakit hindi pa to nadi-disbar?'

Published Mar 7, 2026 03:18 pm

At A Glance

  • Akbayan Party-list Rep. Dadah Kiram Ismula slammed on Saturday, March 7 what she described as controversial lawyer Ferdinand Topacio's "rape fantasy" remark, and questioned the latter's fitness of keeping his title of attorney.
Akbayan Party-list Rep. Dadah Kiram Ismula (Facebook)
Akbayan Party-list Rep. Dadah Kiram Ismula (Facebook)


Akbayan Party-list Rep. Dadah Kiram Ismula slammed on Saturday, March 7 what she described as controversial lawyer Ferdinand Topacio's "rape fantasy" remark, and questioned the latter's fitness of keeping his title of attorney.
Ismula, a neophyte in the 20th Congress, says that a person who treats rape as a harmless fantasy has no business being an officer of the court
“Bakit hindi pa to nadi-disbar? Hindi nakakatuwa at lalong hindi katanggap-tanggap na ang isang abogado pa ang magsasabi na ayos lang ang pangaraping mang-rape ng mga babae,” Ismula said in an emotionally-charged statement.
(How is he not disbarred yet? It is not funny and especially not acceptable that a lawyer would be the one to say it is fine to dream of violating a women.)
The neophyte congresswomen says that Topacio's recent statement--wherein he claims that fantasizing about raping women isn't illegal--is a "dangerous normalization of sexual violence".
Ismula chastised Topacio for his history of anti-women rhetoric, including a sexist motto in his X account that read: "Women being the 'foundation' of society that men must 'lay'".
“Naglalabasan na ang mga bastos para lang mapansin, dahil marahil ay kailangan nilang magsabi ng kontrobersyal para lang pagtakpan ang kanilang insecurities (Lewd public personalities are coming out just to be noticed, perhaps because they need to say something controversial to cover for their insecurities),” she observed.
“Ang mga ganitong pahayag ay hindi lamang pambabastos, kundi direktang pag-atake sa karapatan at kaligtasan ng ating mga kapatid na kababaihan (These statements are not just insults, but direct attacks on the rights and safety of women)," the Mindanao solon reckoned.
Ismula also recently criticized her House colleague Quezon City 4th district Rep. Jesus "Bong" Suntay for his now-infamous remarks in a Committee on Justice hearing last week, where he allegedly "objectified" showbiz personality Anne Curtis.
Despite apologizing several times already, Suntay will be facing disciplinary proceedings before the Committee on Ethics and Privileges in the coming days.
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