Stop the rape

 

THE crime statistics presented by the Pangasinan Provincial Police Station to the sanggunian panlalawigan last week was again another exercise to paint a picture of the crime situation and the peace and order in the province. One would have again passed off the bunch of data as another situationer that dehumanizes the heinous crimes committed against the citizenry, except for one item – there were 36 women rape victims, and 111 child rape victims.

While one rape case is already one too many, the new figures are staggering enough to set off the alarm for all communities in the province to be warned that there are rapists lurking in the neighborhood, and in the family. The continuing rise in the incidents of rape should compel the police, local government units, officials of the education sector and religious sectors to convene and plan activities to prevent the commission of more.

Rape is (and will always be) one of the most traumatic violence that a victim can suffer. Raped mothers (and grandmother), sisters and daughters struggle emotionally daily to overcome their trauma and the cruel stigma that society attaches to the crime. Rape of children is most abhorrent of all. Children are most vulnerable and defenseless and unable to comprehend why they have become victims of ruthless strangers and relatives of their own.

As investigations have shown, the influence of liquor, illegal drugs and internet pornography are the main inducers of sex crimes. These are before us yet we have not done enough. Should we wait for the daughter, wife, sister of a prominent personality to be raped before the community decides to act?

Help. A child is being raped.

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Coach

 

WHEN coach Chot Reyes benched Marcus Douthit in our game against South Korea, that practically sealed our doom in the Incheon Asian Games men’s basketball.

Reyes did that “to discipline” Douthit, believing Douthit quit the night before in our 66-78 loss to Qatar. We also lost to the Koreans, virtually killing our dream of winning the most precious gold in the Asiad – basketball being the nation’s No. 1 passion.

Reyes received flak from all over, particularly from the social media. He deserved it.  A coach can discipline but he should know when to discipline.  This is international play, when every game counts.  You punish your No. 1 center, then you punish a nation dreaming for victory.  Reyes hated Douthit’s one-game flop and, with his ego pricked, the coach benched Douthit in the next game. A coach is a leader, not a hater.

In essence, Reyes coached to lose (we placed 7th).  Not to win.  Pathetic, to say the least.

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