Tito Sotto on ‘victim-shaming’ accusations: It’s not true

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto reiterated that he did not “victim-shame” their winner in the July 9 episode of “Juan for All, All for Juan” in the noontime show “Eat Bulaga!”

“What I was looking at really was there should be a preservation of institution of marriage. When you're married, you act like a married man or a married woman,” he said about what he meant in his statements, ABS-CBN News reported.

In the said episode, their female winner related why she was left by her husband who accused her of infidelity, after a male drinking buddy took advantage of her.

This made some of the viewers send complaints to the Movie and Television Review and Classification Borad (MTRCB), which led the board to summon the executives of the noontime show for a dialogue.

Sotto said that he will attend the said dialogue to explain his side. 

“First thing na itatanong ko sa MTRCB, when there are complaints, don't you ask the complainant to come and explain what their complaint and what is the reason for their complainant,” he added.

Sotto also addressed his bashers, advising them to watch the whole episode, not the edited version on Facebook only.  

"‘Pag in-edit mo puwede mo talaga pasamain. But it's not true,” he said.

Aside from the summon of MTRCB, the Philippine Commission on Women has also reacted on the issue.

According to them, Sotto and other hosts of the segment did were “examples of victim blaming and shaming which could be likened to fault-finding against rape and sexual harassment victims who were blamed for wearing sexy outfits, getting drunk or walking alone in dark street.” – Joyce Jimenez