Be Mocha in a world of Agot

Lochinver, United Kingdom—What attracted you to today’s clickbait headline? Since singer Agot Isidro prominently called President Duterte a psychopath last Oct. 7, I have wondered along which axis memes compare her to dancer and social media commentator Mocha Uson.

Are they presented as prominent female entertainers with diametrically opposite views? Or is Agot simply held up as intelligent, “disenteng tao (decent person)” and respectable while Mocha is stereotyped as a stupid fanatic, crudely abusive, and a slut?

It is time to condemn misogyny and other forms of “other-ing” from all political camps.

Agot reacted vehemently to Mr. Duterte’s recent foreign policy statements. “You are a psychopath,” she posted on Facebook, and offered to refer a psychiatrist. Not unexpectedly, the internet reacted, including the Mocha Uson blog.

Likewise not unexpectedly, some degenerated into the ugliest ad hominems.

Memes denouncing Agot read: “Kaya ako iniwan ng asawa ko kasi baog ako (My husband left me because I am infertile)” and “Manganak ka muna bago ka mangutya sa aming mahal na pangulo (Give birth first before you mock our beloved president).”

“Unahan ko na mga bashers,” Mocha once posted. “MOCHA POKPOK, SUMAYAW KA NALANG… (I will go ahead of the bashers. Mocha, whore, just dance”)!

Mocha recently requested on GMA News: “Sana naman wag nilang tirahin yung pagkatao, or nakaraan ng mga Duterte supporters na katulad ko. Sana po ang pag-usapan dito yung argument o opinion ng tao (I hope they do not attack the person or history of Duterte supporters like me.

I hope we discuss people’s arguments and opinions). ”

Mocha decried how her old nude pictures were dug up in response to her strongly pro-Duterte messages.

To state the obvious, neither Agot’s uterus nor that old video of Mocha forcing a man to feel her boobs on a radio show affects their commentary.

It is time for us to actively denounce such responses. Perhaps we thought it was just election fever, even when rape threats were made online over criticism of candidates. But it is already October and such attacks continue to be made with increasing casual impunity, clogging our democratic channels.

Donald Trump’s US presidential campaign is breaking down over an 11-year-old TV interview where he said: “When you’re a star they let you do it. … Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.” His own running mate and other Republican allies have criticized this and disassociated themselves. A “pussy grabs back” indignation campaign looms.

Compare this national backlash with the far more subdued protest to playing Sen. Leila de Lima’s alleged sex video in the House of Representatives. This was purportedly to link her to her alleged lover and bagman. Female legislators crossed party lines to sign resolutions decrying this. #EveryWoman campaign participants asked to testify before the House because they were also the woman in the sex video.

Nevertheless, the outrage was but a fraction of that sparked when Dan Brown described Manila in passing as “the gates of hell,” and much less what Trump faces.

Philippine education fails to inculcate a deeper respect for the Bill of Rights, leaving it for 10-year-olds as a mere enumeration. We thus fail to condemn misogynistic and similar attacks as out of bounds, instead choosing political sides.

There remains no consequence for proposing to play an alleged sex video featuring a legislator in Congress. Nor for telling Chinese-Filipinos to go back to China in a newspaper nor for insinuating, with no factual basis, that Muslim Filipinos throw acid on women’s faces. Nor for slut shaming, smart shaming and every variation of marginalizing a speaker without addressing her issue.

Recent Agot and Mocha memes are facets of the same ugly flaw in our democracy. Let us aspire for a world where anyone can be Agot or Mocha and have a principled discussion. If Mr. Duterte himself reacted to Agot’s psychopath quip by affirming her right to voice her own opinion, why is it so difficult for the rest of us?

React: oscarfranklin.tan@yahoo.com.ph, Twitter @oscarfbtan, facebook.com/OscarFranklinTan.