FEBRUARY 1, 2026 — When the Indang Municipal Police Station in Cavite posted its so-called “Iwas Rape Tips” on social media, it probably thought it was doing the public a favor. Instead, it ignited a firestorm. Women’s alliance GABRIELA wasted no time in calling it out as blatant victim-blaming, and honestly, who can blame them?

The tips read like a checklist of restrictions on women’s lives: 

1. Iwasang dumaan sa madilim na lugar lalo na kung mag-isa. (Avoid dark places, especially if alone)
2. Iwasang makipag-inuman sa hindi kakilala. (Avoid drinking with strangers) 
3. Kilalanin muna ang mga taong sasamahan. (Get to know the people you’ll be with) 
4. Huwag agad maniwala sa mga taong nakilala sa social media. (Do not immediately trust people met on social media)

Sounds familiar? It’s the same tired narrative we’ve heard for decades — that women must shrink their world, limit their movements, and live in fear to avoid being assaulted. 

But the uncomfortable truth is, rape is not caused by dimly lit streets or Facebook acquaintances. It is caused by rapists. Period.

Clarice Palce, GABRIELA’s secretary-general, asserted, “Instead of running after rapists, the PNP is promoting a backward and harmful mindset that tells women to restrict their freedom and movements.” 

She added that this thinking suggests rape happens because of a woman’s choices, rather than a perpetrator’s decision to commit violence. 

“It is an insult to all survivors and a gross neglect of the PNP's duty,” she stressed.

GABRIELA went on to point out that sexual assault is often committed by someone familiar to the victim, frequently inside the home. Yet the police advice conveniently ignores this reality. Worse, the group reminded us that the PNP itself has been riddled with cases of sexual abuse, including the recent Manila police rape case. 

How can an institution with its own house in disarray lecture women on how to stay safe?

This is the heart of the outrage. Public safety messaging should be about condemning perpetrators, promoting consent, and ensuring justice — not controlling women’s lives and bodies. 

Palce hit the nail on the head when she said, “They should focus on cleansing their own ranks of rapists and abusers, instead of telling women how to live in fear.”

Why are women always told to adjust, while men — the majority of perpetrators — are rarely told to stop? Why is the burden of safety dumped on potential victims instead of on those who commit the crime?

And what if a woman is seen alone walking along a dimly lit road? Does that give a man a valid excuse to go ahead and rape her? What if a group of women cap off a night-out with a group of men they meet at, say, a restaurant? Does that give the men the right to rape them since, you know, the women weren’t mindful enough to get to know them more first?

The Indang police may have thought their post was harmless advice, but in reality, it reflects a mindset that keeps women shackled and perpetrators emboldened. If the PNP truly wants to protect women, it should start by holding its own men accountable.

Justice means protecting women’s freedom, not policing it. When will we finally stop victim blaming and start holding perpetrators accountable?

(Image: Indang Municipal Police Station | Facebook)