I was at the One Billion Rising event at Sunburst this morning when a middle aged man stood beside me and asked, "What exactly are you fighting for here?"
I told him we are calling for the end to Violence aginst Women.
"Is that really a problem here in the Philippines? Pila gid ya ka bilog ang naga-experience sang violence haw?"
"Sir, in at least one point in our lives, we women experience some level of violence."
"Really? I've never experienced it."
"Because you're a man, Sir. It doesn't mean nga kon wala mo ni naexperience, wala na ini naexperience sang iban."
He insisted, "I think that you are just making a big deal out of this. My father also beat us up, but that was it. I've hd no other experience of violence from men. And I've never hurt anybody." (I was literally shookt at his logic here.)
We got into a heated debate where I attempted to explain how, everyday, women get molested, catcalled, raped, how women are at a disadvantage when it comes to employment opportunities and salaries.
"So you think women should receive the same salaries as men?"
"Of course, Sir."
"But women can do less than men can."
"Sir, that's misogyny. And you're exactly the kind of person we are fighting against in this event."
Lawig pa amon baisay. He said the whole thing was just to agitate people to rebel against the government. I told him that there were representatives from the police force and other agencies there, fighting the same cause in solidarity.
"They don't have an idea why they are here," he said.
"Really, Sir? Let's go ask them then."
So nagpalapit kami sa pulis kag namangkot kon ngaa ara sila didto. Siling nila kay gasupport sila sa call against violence against women.
Then gin-invoke niya na kon ngaa kuno may people's orgs. Ngaa kuno may mga komunista. He said he will not let communists take over the government that he loves.
The participants in the event were literally just DANCING 🙃 Ngaa nakalab-ot kami sa mga komunista???
And that's when i realized I've been talking to a brick wall all this time. Ahahahuhu.
After talking to the police officers, nag-attempt na ko ya distansya. Gintag niya pa ko ya nga communist. Diwaw. Had I known early on kon ano gid ya iya hugot, I wouldn't have wasted my Valentine morning on him.
Anyway, before he left, he said, "I will defend my country against communists until my last breath."
To which I replied, "And i will defend my country against misogynists like you, Sir. So good luck to the both of us."
#OneBillionRising
#EndVAW
#NoToGenderBasedViolence
#PalanggaaAngAktibista
#KonKawsaGaniGinapakigbatoKoIkawPaAyhanChour
