Article by Juan De Jesus Graphics by Enzo Salvador
November 29, 2021
Over the past week, several clips of Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) Kumunity Season 10 housemate TJ Valderrama inappropriately touching fellow housemate Shanaia Gomez around sensitive parts of her body without her consent have been circulating around social media, which drew the ire of many people online, including Valderrama’s own girlfriend, leading to calls for him to be forcibly evicted. In an attempt to solve the problem, Big Brother had the housemates gather to talk about their bond with one another, which led to both confusion and even more backlash. Think of it as the phrase “pouring gasoline on the fire”.
Even before the clips of him inappropriately touching Gomez spread across social media, Valderrama was already unpopular outside the house for targeting specific housemates and causing a major rift between two of his younger colleagues. What he did to Gomez further intensified the already-huge animosity towards him. The Gabriela Women’s Party also called out Valderrama for his unsolicited touching.
After the controversy went viral over the weekend, PBB decided to acknowledge Valderrama’s actions towards Gomez on its November 22 episode. The male and female housemates were separately called (as a group) to the confession room in order to discuss their ways of showing affection towards one another. When Gomez and 2 of her fellow female housemates were asked which male housemate they were most comfortable with, they all mentioned Valderrama, describing him as their “kuya”. The housemates then held an open forum to discuss “setting boundaries,” ending it with a group hug. In a tweet by PBB’s official Twitter, they said that “harassment is something that Big Brother will not let slide by, especially if there is evidence.” Also in the tweet, the housemates themselves said that there has not been any form of harassment happening inside the house.
However, the main issue was not addressed, which made the episode’s ending confusing. The clips of Valderrama inappropriately touching Gomez were not shown to the housemates. Instead, the episode sent the message that Valderrama was the “kuya” everyone else looks up to, even if that “kuya” himself constantly exploits Gomez’s innocence with his recents suspicious acts towards her. The episode didn’t clear Valderrama’s name, it only got him and PBB itself more backlash.
Sexual harassment is not acceptable in any way, shape, or form. It is a serious issue that requires immediate action, specifically holding the perpetrator accountable, and bringing the victim justice. Hopefully, Valderrama will be given his marching orders as soon as possible for Gomez’s safety and sanity. If not, expect this controversy to be used in full force by our country’s congressmen when ABS-CBN’s franchise is once again up for grabs.
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