Ruffa: Abused? Com'on...

It was an awfully disgusting sight – TV footages of Ruffa Gutierrez and Yilmaz Bektas drooling over each other, fully reconciled and even floating the idea of getting married again.

The hell … were they not the same celebrities who declared war against each other in the media? Wasn’t that the Ruffa who claimed to have been abused and battered, with the dramatic recounting of the horrible events all captured by the cameras? Was this not the same Ruffa who sought police protection (read: public funds) so as to deter any possible harm that the same Ylmaz was supposed to be capable of committing despite the oceans that separate them? Is this not the same Ruffa whom Gabriela proclaimed as a poster girl for women standing up for their rights?

Damn! We were duped! The images clearly do not evoke women empowerment. This was plain and simple public deception which trivialized the law aimed at protecting women’s rights.

When Republic Act No. 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act was promulgated, the biggest concern raised was that it could open the floodgates to abuse, having raised the concept of abuse to more than the physical type. The law went to the extent of penalizing psychological and economic abuse, and not only that, these abuses were already deemed committed even if they were only on the level of threats or attempts, e.g. attempting to cause the woman or her child physical harm, threatening to deprive the woman or her child of custody to her/his family and threatening to deprive the woman or her children of financial support legally due her or her family.

Given the uncertain nature of the law (think: how does one prove an attempt to cause physical harm if such is confined to the parties? Or, how do you quantify psychological abuse?), the implementing authorities were very careful in its application such that it can be availed only by people who truly suffered from abuse and may not be employed for harassment or revenge by any woman scorned.

I don’t know with you, but I truly think that Ruffa has given those who doubt the law a reason to be more cynical. She has just become the icon for the dark side of the law – where scheming women can cry abuse to pursue devious ends.

Call me biased, but it never entered my mind that she was indeed abused – what I clearly saw was a showbiz has-been trying desperately to return to her glorious days. The script was all too neat to be true – the theatrical confession, the explosive accusations, the melodramatic baptism by the pool, etcetera). And I only have to look at her mentor – her mother, and look back to her envelope-switching days to substantiate my claim. What I saw on TV last night simply affirmed it (check again that part where Ruffa was flaunting and taunting Yilmas with the gash in her head).

Ruffa just caused a big setback to the fight for women’s rights. And we, the showbiz-crazed nincompoops get the better part of the blame for being big-time suckers. (Insert Ruffa’s and Annabelle’s crackling guffaw here).