Request for a Sexual Favor Under Republic Act No. 7877

by ermetes adolfo jr. in Issues, April 30, 2011

All forms of sexual harassment in the employment, education or training environment are declared unlawful as stated in section two of the Republic Act No. 7877, otherwise known as Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995 in the Philippines. For those convicted of sex crimes, probation with mandated treatment along with some jail time is a common disposition. The major goal of treatment for sex offenders is the prevention of sexual offenses in the future.

There have been so many cases of sexual harassment in the public schools. Victims are not only students but also teachers. Some higher education officials are guilty of this. I had a friend who was pretty and sexy. When the superintendent saw her in one of the gatherings of teachers, he asked somebody to get the phone number of the teacher. My friend readily gave her number because it was the superintendent who asked for it. That was a weekend. A few days after that meeting, she received a call from the superintendent inviting her for dinner. She was told not to bring a chaperone. Sensing something fishy, she declined the invitation and gave out excuses. Many invitations followed thereafter and as usual she never accepted any of those. The superintendent, though, did not give up. He sought the help of the principal. The principal kept on nudging her to accept the invitation even once. But she was firm in her conviction. The story did not end there. She was given a hard time. When she could no longer stomach the pressures imposed upon her, she told the principal that if he does not stop pressuring her, she will file the harassment complaint against him and his boss at the Ombudsman. He showed the principal a copy of this Republic Act. From then on, the principal and the superintendent stopped pestering her.

This RA 7877 is very helpful to employees, especially the rank and file. They are helpless if the head of office victimizes them. For fear of reprisal, some employees give in to the sexual demands of their bosses. These employees are ignorant of this Republic Act. That’s why it’s imperative that employees read the articles in the constitution to know their rights and privileges. They ought to know the laws. It’s a misconception that only lawyers or lawmakers should be well-versed of our constitution. Every citizen has the right to know. As they say, ignorance of the law excuses no one.