Mayor Greg Gasataya said on Friday, May 22, that he strongly condemns any statement, act, or public expression that normalizes, justifies, or makes light of rape and violence against women.
Jean Paul C. Generoso, anchorman and Vice President for Administration and Human Resources at K5 News FM Bacolod, has faced widespread backlash after telling a female reporter on-air that he would rape her so he could "go to jail" alongside a father who had recently beaten his child at the Bacolod Public Plaza. “The recent broadcast treating sexual assault as a matter of humor is a failure of empathy and a betrayal of civic trust. The trauma of sexual violence must never be reduced to a punchline,” Gasataya said in a statement posted on his Facebook page.
“Devolving a serious discussion about the abuse of a minor into a joke about rape exposes a cultural blind spot that must be addressed beyond a statement of regret,” the mayor said.
In pursuit of accountability, Gasataya said he personally communicated with the network's management.
“They have since compelled the broadcaster to apologize publicly, issued a Notice to Explain, and, following their evaluation, placed him under preventive suspension,” he added.
Gasataya, a former broadcast journalist, said media platforms wield significant influence and must uphold the highest levels of responsibility, sensitivity, and respect.
“A public audience is a privilege, and it comes with a duty to uplift, not tear down. To use such privilege in a way that demeans women is a step backward in our fight for a safe and equitable society, and it callously reopens the healing wounds of those recovering from traumatic violence,” Gasataya said.
Securing safe spaces for women transcends moral aspiration, he said.
“It is mandated by the Safe Spaces Act and our city's own Bawal Bastos Ordinance. This protection must extend from our streets into our digital spaces and media landscape,” the mayor said.
Gasataya called on all sectors, especially media practitioners and broadcast management, to exercise utmost responsibility in their public communications.
He said the city government is ready to provide assistance to women in need of help.
“Bacolod City is and shall remain an environment where every woman is valued, respected, and ensured unconditional safety,” he said.*
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