Woman to sue catcalling QC cops

MANILA, Philippines — A young woman took to social media her plan to file charges against two Quezon City policemen who catcalled her last week despite a city ordinance penalizing catcalling and other forms of street harassment.

The tweet of Xandi Pascua, a 21-year-old research analyst, has been liked and shared more than 13,000 times, drawing support from netizens.

In an interview, Pascua said she was on her way home when a black Quezon City Police District (QCPD) mobile unit stopped in front of her and a policeman on the passenger seat rolled down the window and stared at her.

She then heard a whistle coming from the car, which was keeping pace with her while she was walking.

When she stopped walking, the QCPD mobile unit also stopped twice, about 10 meters from her, despite the moving traffic along the road before driving away.

Pascua said she has requested the Quezon City People’s Law Enforcement Board to retrieve surveillance footage of the incident.

She admitted that she is still hesitant to seek help from the QCPD because she fears a biased investigation.

Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, QCPD director, said the city police will investigate the incident and will help Pascua identify the erring policemen.

He also made the assurance that the erring policemen will face criminal and administrative charges of unbecoming conduct.

“We should educate everybody. Yung culture sa police hindi dapat ganun. Kung merong ganyan na kulturang macho, itatama natin yun. Hindi dapat to ginagawa at hindi natin itotolerate (The culture in the police force should not be like that. If there is a macho culture, we will correct it. This must not be done and must not be tolerated),” he added.

Last year, the local government of Quezon City passed an ordinance penalizing catcalling and other acts of street harassment.

Catcalling, cursing, asking for numbers or dates, and taunting women about sex in the streets, carry a fine of a minimum P1,000 to a maximum P5,000 and a jail term of one to 30 days.

The ordinance also outlines sanctions for more severe violations such as stalking, groping, public display of genitals, among others.