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Everyone was shocked when news came out that Gretchen Fullido is suing ABS-CBN execs for sexual harassment, as well as filed libel cases against her fellow reporters for allegedly besmirching her reputation. One detail that stood out was the accusation against Ces Drilon, who allegedly said that she deserved to be harassed because she “was willing to wear a bikini with an inflatable pool with bubbles to shove up the ratings of TV Patrol.”
While these are still allegations and Ces has also denied the claims, it’s still important to talk about the conversation surrounding Gretchen’s case. It’s true that the news reporter has covered locations in swimsuits, even showing her athleticism in swimming, and is also known for looking glammed up in front of the camera. However, none of these should be an excuse for sexual harassment, nor should someone say that Gretchen deserved to be treated that way because of what she wears.
Exposing her body doesn’t make her slutty and allegedly devious because she wants ratings to go up. Gretchen’s clothing—be it a bikini, bodycon dress, or workout clothes—doesn’t have anything to do with this case. Plus, her likeability with the audience and the workplace also doesn’t factor in this conversation.
Sexual harassment happens because of people who don’t know their boundaries. No one, not even Gretchen, asks to be disrespected by the people around them. Remember that this isn’t the first time she’s filed a sexual harassment case against an executive, and Cheryl Favila was even booted from the job due to gross misconduct. Gretchen is a human being and how she presents herself isn’t the problem. It’s the system that allowed alleged harassers to walk freely and continuously acted this way towards her.
Photo courtesy of Gretchen Fullido’s Instagram account
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