By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — A local radio anchor is facing criticism on social media and from media groups after making a rape remark during a live radio broadcast Wednesday.

The remark was directed at a female reporter who was giving an update on a child abuse case involving a man who recently went viral after allegedly beating his 6-year-old daughter at the public plaza here.

The reporter said the child’s father was already in police custody when radio broadcaster Jean Paul Generoso interrupted her and made remarks about wanting to be jailed.

Generoso said on air that he also wanted to go to jail and repeatedly asked the female reporter if he could rape her so that he, too, would end up imprisoned.

The female reporter was heard laughing during the exchange and suggested that the anchor could simply visit the suspect at the police station.

Generoso, however, continued insisting that he wanted to be jailed.

The remarks triggered criticism from social media users and members of the media industry, who said rape and gender-based violence should never be used as material for humor.

Councilor Celia Flor, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Women, Gender, Family, and Childcare, condemned statements that normalize rape and gender-based harassment.

“Ang pahayag nga ‘i-rape ta ka para mapriso ko’ wala sang lugar sa responsable nga diskurso publiko,” Flor said.

Flor said rape and all forms of abuse should never be treated as jokes, citing Bacolod City’s “Bawal Bastos Ordinance” and the Safe Spaces Act.

The Safe Spaces Act, or Republic Act 11313, penalizes gender-based sexual harassment in public spaces, online platforms, workplaces, and educational or training institutions.

Generoso, anchor of “11MBPS” on K5 News FM Bacolod, issued a public apology hours after the broadcast and acknowledged his mistake.

“While it was never my intention to mock or trivialize the suffering of victims, I now fully realize that using this term in a humorous context, especially on live radio, was deeply insensitive, irresponsible, and entirely unacceptable,” he stated on Facebook.

“I take full responsibility for my words. There is no excuse for this severe lapse in judgment,” he said.

Generoso expressed regret over what he described as a thoughtless remark that caused pain, offense, and disappointment to survivors, their loved ones, and the listening public.

He also thanked members of the community who called out his mistake and held him accountable.

He said he accepted the criticism with genuine humility and was fully committed to learning from the error, undergoing necessary self-reflection, and doing better moving forward.

Station manager Rods Palma said an internal investigation is underway and the matter has been raised to management for appropriate action against the anchor.

Palma said Generoso, who also heads the Human Resource Department, has been suspended.

Palma said management does not tolerate offenses committed by its personnel.

The Presidential Task Force on Media Security also expressed grave concern over the broadcaster’s “inappropriate and deeply disturbing remarks.”

In a statement, the task force said the remarks involved jokes and comments that trivialized rape and violence against women.

The task force said such statements undermine efforts to protect women, promote gender sensitivity, and create safe spaces in media and society.

It said media platforms must never be used to normalize violence, demean victims, or perpetuate harmful narratives disguised as humor.

The task force said comments that make light of rape and sexual violence are unacceptable and have no place in responsible journalism and broadcasting.

“While freedom of expression and press freedom are fundamental pillars of a democratic society, they also carry the responsibility to uphold professionalism, decency, and respect for human dignity,” it said.

The task force urged media organizations, broadcasters’ associations, and regulatory agencies to strengthen ethical standards, gender sensitivity training, and accountability mechanisms in the industry.

It said responsible journalism is crucial in maintaining public trust and preserving the integrity of the profession.

The PTFOMS acknowledged Generoso’s public apology but said the incident should serve as a serious reminder to media practitioners, broadcasters, and content creators that words spoken on public platforms have significant impact and influence.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines strongly condemned the incident and noted with concern Generoso’s statement “apologizing” for his behavior without mentioning how he harassed the female radio reporter.

The NUJP said that while laws against sexual harassment and local ordinances promoting safe spaces in the workplace exist, misogyny and macho culture persist.

The group said many newsrooms have yet to establish their own policies on sexual harassment or implement clear mechanisms to enforce workplace safety measures for journalists and media workers.

The NUJP said cases of sexual harassment in newsrooms and across the media industry remain underreported because of fears of job and income loss, disbelief, victim-blaming, embarrassment, and stigma.

It reiterated its call for newsrooms and workplaces to adopt a zero-tolerance stance on sexual harassment.

The group also urged newsrooms to establish policies and mechanisms that create safe spaces for journalists and media workers.

It called on colleagues and newsroom managers to foster respect, equality, and inclusivity for women journalists and media workers.

The Negros Press Club Inc. also condemned all acts of abuse, disrespect, and irresponsible broadcasting.

The group said such conduct has no place in the profession or in the organization.

The NPC said it stands for inclusivity, women’s rights, and respect, which it described as values that define responsible journalism and public service.

The NPC reminded its members to exercise prudence, uphold respect, and practice responsible journalism at all times.

It said the duty of journalists does not and will never diminish the rights, dignity, and safety of women.

“We join the community in stating with conviction: rape is not a joke. It is a crime, and treating it as humor undermines survivors, erodes public trust, and violates the very purpose of the press.”

The NPC said it will remain in coordination with the company concerned and will continue to uphold the highest standards of ethics and accountability among its members.

The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas-Negros Occidental Chapter also reminded broadcasters, radio hosts, commentators, DJs, and media practitioners to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, decency, and responsibility on air.

The KBP-Negros Occidental Chapter said it stands in solidarity with the public in condemning Generoso’s act.

The group said it does not tolerate such conduct on the airwaves anywhere in the country.

It called on the National Telecommunications Commission Broadcast Division, the Bacolod City government, and other authorities to take decisive action on the matter.

The KBP also reminded its members to exercise prudence and compassion in all broadcasts and to strictly adhere to ethical broadcasting standards.

“Let us use our voices not to demean or desensitize, but to educate, uplift, and foster a culture that respects human dignity and protects the vulnerable. There is no place for rape jokes on Philippine airwaves.”

The Iloilo Media-Citizen Council also condemned the anchor’s on-air conduct, saying there was no reading of the words that made them a joke.

The council said the remarks amounted to harassment, broadcast live against a colleague who was doing her job.

The council said Generoso expressed regret to those offended but did not name what he did or the woman he harmed.

“An apology that erases the person harmed is not accountability but a reputation management,” it said.

The council urged newsrooms in Iloilo and the Visayas to adopt written sexual harassment policies and post them where staff can see them.

It also called for complaint channels that do not pass through the harasser’s friends or the complainant’s direct supervisor.

The council said newsrooms should guarantee in writing that no one who reports harassment loses shifts, assignments, or standing for reporting it.

It also said gender sensitivity training should be a condition of on-air work, not an optional seminar.

The council said it is prepared to receive such concerns, review them with confidentiality and care, and help connect those affected to appropriate redress.

It encouraged newsrooms in Negros and elsewhere to build or join similar bodies.

The council said co-regulation works only when it is local and within reach of the people it is meant to protect.

“Free expression protects journalism. It does not protect a person using a live microphone to demean a woman doing her work.”