VIRAL: UST student affairs office hit over sexual harassment case

Raisa Serafica

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(UPDATED) The victim, a 3rd year student in UST, claims she was molested in a public transportation vehicle. UST's OSA says facts and evidence revealed in the viral post do not conform with records on file.

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The University of Santo Tomas Office for Student Affairs (OSA) has received flak from a post that went viral.

On Sunday, January 29, Geo Celestino narrated on Facebook how the Social Welfare and Development Board (SWDB) in UST wrongly accused his sister and sexual harassment victim Yssa Celestino, of “falsely accusing another student of wrongdoing.” The SWDB is under the university’s OSA.

Celestino, a third year student from the College of Fine Arts and Design in UST, was reportedly molested by a fifth year UST Engineering student.

Geo Celestino’s Facebook post got shared over 30,000 times. It also garnered at least 35,000 reactions and 2,100 comments as of posting. (READ: The many faces of sexual harassment in the Philippines)

 

Incident

It all started when, one night in June 2016 after school, Yssa Celestino fell asleep on the ride home while on board a UV express vehicle. She reportedly then felt a hand up her legs. When asked why she did not stop the man who was molesting her, Geo said his sister wasn’t sure anyone would believe her.

“What if I was only imagining this? What if hindi maniwala sa’kin mga kasama ko dito sa UV express? What if mapahiya lang ako? What if hindi naman pala sinasadya ni Kuya na hipuan ako, na baka inaantok lang din siya?” Yssa Celestino reportedly said, according to the viral Facebook post.

(What if they do not believe me? What if I only end up humiliating myself? What if the molester did not intend to harass me – and he was also just sleepy?) 

Instead of confronting the perpetrator, Yssa shook her leg instead. But this did not stop the molester who apparently was another student from UST.

“And then she said she felt him again touch her leg. Now there were a million other choices that she could’ve made at that time, but what my sister did was take a picture of this molester,” Geo Celestino said in his post.

Yssa then posted the photo on Twitter and urged fellow UST students to take care when commuting home.

Blaming the victim?

Things escalated when, after the photo on Twitter went viral, the UST SWDB summoned and questioned Yssa about her intentions in posting the photo.

“Her well-meaning gesture was being questioned, and the case I mentioned at the start of this prose was filed against her. The process dragged on, and my sister who was already enduring the tough demands of CFAD to be a good student, just wanted to get things over with,” Geo added.

According to the elder Celestino, his sister’s explanations to the UST SWDB fell on deaf ears.

He added that the hearing dragged on for months until, on the last day of the hearing, Yssa Celestino was asked to apologize to the graduating UST student.

On Friday, January 27, their parents received a “Notice of Resolution.” Their parents needed to affix their signatures, signifying they accept the results of the hearing.

Geo Celestino, in an interview with Rappler, said that their family decided to seek legal counsel regarding the matter. They also met two lawyers from Gabriela, a progressive women’s group, a day after the post went viral on Facebook. 

Statement from UST

In a statement, UST public affairs office Director Associate Professor Giovanna V. Fontanilla said they have investigated the administrative case involving Yssa Celestino. According to Fontanilla, the facts and evidence that Geo Celestino revealed in his viral post do not conform with their records on file. 

“The University is under obligation to maintain and keep the confidentiality of student discipline cases, hence, it is with deep regard that it cannot reveal any details of the case except to say that the due process requirements under the law and jurispridence were observed and duly complied with,” Fontanilla added.

In a report by the Varsitarian, UST’s school publication, secretary to the SWDB director Angelica Guazon also stressed that the board followed standard operating procedures during the investigation. 

According to official reports in the Philippines, 58% of incidents of sexual harassment happen on the streets, major roads, and eskinitas (alleys). Physical forms of sexual harassment occur mostly in public transport. 

Sexual harassment can be punished under Republic Act 7877, or the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995, and the provisions of the Revised Penal Code on Acts of Lasciviousness.

RA 7877 penalizes sexual harassment with imprisonment of 1 to 6 months, a fine of P10,000 to P20,000, or both. Acts of lasciviousness, on the other hand, would mean imprisonment under the Revised Penal Code. – Rappler.com 

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Raisa Serafica

Raisa Serafica is the Unit Head of Civic Engagement of Rappler. As the head of MovePH, Raisa leads the on ground engagements of Rappler aimed at building a strong community of action in the Philippines. Through her current and previous roles at Rappler, she has worked with different government agencies, collaborated with non-governmental organizations, and trained individuals mostly on using digital technologies for social good.