Scandalous

Last last week, it was pugilist Manny Pacquiao. A few days after that, it was the Judy Ann Santos- Ryan Agoncillo Nuptials. Nowadays, you can hardly turn on the television without seeing a Katrina Halili-Hayden Kho Sex Video update.

Tangent: Am I the only one who thinks "Donya" Dionisia Pacquiao is perpetually inebriated on money? Have you ever seen a better example of "letting it get to your head"?

As may be expected, the media is having a field day with this story. You have, on one end, a clueless, pre-star status Katrina Halili, and on the other, a young closet voyeur named Dr. Hayden Kho. Or maybe I should say "ex-closet voyeur." Other players include one Chua, who may or may not be the rat in this hole-ridden affair, and Dra. Belo, who may or may not sooner or later overdose on her own chemicals. This tale is peppered with sex, money, jealousy, and ulterior motives. What's not to exploit?

The fascinating part about all of this is the endless loop of questions. My favorite is: Who's to blame?
Do we blame the alleged victim, Ms. Halili, for sleeping with Dr. Kho? Do we blame the aspiring videographer Dr. Kho for sleeping with Ms. Halili? Or do we blame the person who leaked this to the media? (Let us now refer to this person as the unsub-- unidentified subject. Yes this is NCIS/Criminal Minds speaking.)

Personally, I don't think it was Ms. Halili's fault. She didn't know she was being videotaped. She might have known she was cheating, as the Belo-Kho love affair was more public than Hello Garci. But they're not married, so scratch adultery. I don't know which case they're filing against who, but as such, this is a question of morality. And that is not clear cut at all. I know some people are pinning the blame on Ms. Halili for sleeping with Dr. Kho, and are assuming that she has slept with more than one blissfully taken male species. (Cue pictures of old socialites with old scandalized expressions on their faces.) That, and the whole "impure image" people attach to sexually liberated women.

We seldom hear the "impure image" attached to Dr. Kho's name, presumably because he's male and all males are supposed to be sexually aggressive. Sexual double standard alert. It's disgusting for one gender and laudable for the other. Curious. Nobody's saying the "videotaping" aspect was laudable, but the sex itself on his part is hardly considered as scandalous.

I think Halili is also somehow lucky for being the female, because while she is subjected to negative personal ruminations, it would be unwise for our politicians and public figures to point their fingers at her. She is the alleged weaker party, after all. Alleged, alleged. Gender never determines strength. They may brand her as scarlet, but they won't say it out loud.

Wonder why the CBCP hasn't issued a statement yet. Is this one rare moment where they don't render their opinion necessary to the ebb and flow of scrutiny?

I don't blame Dr. Kho either. Whatever voyeuristic predilections he may possess is beyond my judgment. Can't judge what I don't understand. But really, dissecting the situation, did he do any harm by the act of videotaping? They were two consenting adults after all.

Maybe we should just blame the unsub who leaked this. And if it is who I think it is, I pray that they catch the unsub before *beep* keels over on botox and collagen implants.