Press Release
May 26, 2009

Pia appeals to public: 'Don't watch, patronize sex scandal videos'

Senator Pia S. Cayetano today appealed to the public to refrain from downloading, watching, sharing or purchasing electronic files and CD copies of the controversial sex videos of Dr. Hayden Kho with several celebrities that are currently circulating on the internet and mobile phones, and sold openly or covertly in pirated video stores.

Instead of further fanning the controversy, Cayetano also urged the media to help focus public attention to proposed solutions seeking to deter and outlaw video voyeurism, and help raise people's awareness on women's rights and privacy issues.

Cayetano is principal author of Senate Bill No. 3267, the proposed "Anti-Video Voyeurism Act of 2009."

"By watching and spreading these violative materials to others, we are not helping address the problem but are in fact further contributing to it," stressed the lady senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Social Justice.

"We have to bear in mind that the women victims are violated all over every time these videos are played and made a spectacle in our computers and mobile phones, or in our homes and places of work," she added. "Do your part, don't watch these videos. Otherwise we, in effect, become victimizers ourselves like Dr. Kho and his ilk."

Cayetano said she has personally refrained from watching the videos and has encouraged her staff and friends to do the same as a way of showing respect, not only to the victims, but for all women in general.

A prolific blogger, the lady senator recently posted an entry on her blog, www.mydailyrace.com tackling the basic rights of women in light of the controversy created by the sex scandal videos.

In her May 23 blog entry, "What everyone should know about violence against women and children," Cayetano enumerates the various forms of violence and remedies available to victims under Republic Act 9262, also known as the Anti-violence against Women and Children Act of 2004

"This scandal is ugly and unfortunate, but it also opens our eyes as to how some people would shamelessly go to extreme measures of humiliating a woman and violating her rights with the use of modern technology and the internet."

"We should focus on the unlawful act and not the content of the video. We trivialize the damage done to those women by watching these videos."

She advised those who have already downloaded the sex scandal videos from file sharing sites to voluntary delete the same from their hard disks and mobile phones.

"People should also immediately alert authorities like the National Bureau of Investigation for any information about websites and video stalls still offering said materials despite efforts by the police to go after video pirates and personalities uploading the files on the internet," she concluded.

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