Kakie Pangilinan, Jennelyn Mercado, other personalities echo the call for justice for Christine Dacera’s death
The death of 23-year-old flight attendant Christine Dacera continues to spark outrage and stir conversations on social media, many weighing in on the case to call for justice, including celebrities and social media personalities.
Hashtags related to the case trended on social media including #JusticeForChristineDacera, #StopVictimBlaming, #EndRapeCulture and #ProtectDrunkGirls.
Kakie Pangilinan, known for being outspoken in pressing issues, tweeted, “We would prefer your respect over your protection. We’re not pretty things that need constant guarding. We’re human beings.” She continued, “Christine Dacera shouldn’t have needed protection. Enough of that dialogue. She was a woman who deserved basic, human decency.”
Pangilinan added that #ProtectDrunkGirls should no longer be a hashtag as it should be respect out of any human being because “drunk girls shouldn’t be needing any more protection than drunk guys.”
TV host Bianca Gonzalez also used the hashtag #JusticeForChristineDacera in her post that said, “Rape happens because of rapists, not because anyone ‘asked for it.’”
Kapuso actress Jennelyn Mercado, who is a mom of a 12-year-old, echoed a similar message on her posts. “As a parent, what’s one thing we should never forget to teach our children? Consent.”
On a separate tweet, she also reiterated, “there is no excuse to rape. Rape exists because of rapists” and for people to stop victim blaming. “Every time you blame the victim, you take the side of the rapist.”
In her tweet, theater actress Gab Pangilinan called to stop victim blaming and emphasized, “more than protect, RESPECT. It’s 2021 but rape is STILL RAPE.”
The conversation blew up even further after the Philippine National Police (PNP) released more details about the case, including the names of the suspects, to which some netizens noted and condemned as a “trial by publicity.”
LGBT rights advocate Paulo Castro stood behind the call of justice for Dacera’s death and that women should be able to live their lives without fear. But he also noted that “justice is for all” and questioned netizens who were quick to believe theories about the case, which the PNP announced as solved, even though only three suspects were taken into custody, who have been charged with rape with homicide.
Theater actor Reb Atadero also weighed in and explained to his followers that he used to subscribe to the “not all men” narrative, which also trended on Twitter, until someone pointed out to him that it’s not about one’s feelings as a man. “Let’s change our way of thinking. May rape dahil sa rapists.”
In another tweet, Atadero posed the question to PNP, “Paano naging solved yung 75% of your suspects are still out there?” and “Why don’t you release the autopsy BEFORE CLAIMING IT AS SOLVED?”
In a series of tweets, voice over artist Inka Magnaye said that nothing justifies rape and it is important to find the truth because “we don’t want the victim’s death to be used subversively.”
“If the men actually did it, the truth needs to come out for justice to be served. If they didn’t do it, then the PNP is using her death to frame her friends.”
Meanwhile, Gabriela Women’s Party posted a call for justice for Dacera and to stop victim blaming.
In a tweet, the University of the Philippines Office of the Student Regent used the hashtags #JusticeForChristineDacera and #LabananAngAbuso with its message: “Along with the whole UP Mindanao and UP System community, we extend our sincerest condolences to Christine Dacera’s family and friends as we collectively and strongly call for justice.”
Dacera graduated with a degree in Communication Arts, cum laude, from UP Mindanao.