Last January 14, 2017, the ABS-CBN series ‘Ipaglaban Mo!’ dramatized the case of a teenage boy (played by Yves Flores) who joined a fraternity, only to be molested and raped by their fraternal head, whom they call ‘Master.’ It goes into a detailed, in-depth story of how he, with the help of his mother, filed a case against the perpetrator and won in court. The full episode can be found here.
It was an eye-opening experience for many viewers. Rape is
already a taboo subject for a country as conservative as the Philippines – but a
boy being raped? Practically unheard
of in Philippine television. And that is exactly why this episode of Ipaglaban Mo sparked a special interest
in the eyes of many.
The stereotype present in our society is that men are the
heads of every household: strong, trustworthy, capable of any task presented to
them. We are stuck in a patriarchal mindset that tells us that men simply cannot
be taken advantage of like that. It is often overlooked that men, despite how strong
they may be, are also human. We are fragile by nature. When presented with
situations like that, who can stay strong? This is why we need to normalize and
accept masculine fragility. Men aren’t always who society makes them out to be.
This is a great step towards a more accepting society. I am
glad that the boy fought for the arrest of his rapist, and that he didn’t let
his shame get the best of him. This teaches us that no matter who you are, you
have a right to stand up for yourself and fight for your right. It teaches us
to have courage. It teaches us that it’s okay not to be okay sometimes, that it’s
okay to cry even when society tells you you can’t.
Sadly, not everyone shares the same mindset. But that’s okay
for now. There will always be people who will deny other people’s humanity when
it interferes with their own satisfaction, and these are the people that will
teach us how to fight for ourselves. Just like what the series’ title entails,
Ipaglaban Mo. That’s exactly what we
should do.
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