Monday, June 1, 2009

The Hidden Issue in the 'Hayden e-Show'

By Maugan P. Mosaid, Ph.D.

Someone says, "The issue, really, in the Hayden Kho sex scandal is about the consent to take the video; there was no mutual consent."

Really? Is this what it was all about? Consent? And privacy? All these questions and issues are just glib mis-directions. Is it just privacy and consent at stake here? Or is it the act itself that is condemnable and detestable?

Then another one questions the intention of the Senate in dipping its power of inquiry into this whole mess. As always, it is being done "in aid of legislation." And exactly what law they may have in mind right now is not clear to most of us. However, if they are thinking that we don't have good privacy laws, then there may be room for a more detailed privacy law.

Then the third one asks, "Is sex still viewed as sacred these days?"

My view is that sex is so sacred that it should not be indulged in for sheer fun without the blessings of the sacrament of matrimony.

Still, others say "if nothing was taken on video, nothing could have been distributed." This is just like saying promiscuous sex is alright for as long as it is not captured on cam.

The point is (and this is the real issue) there should be no justification for illicit and immoral sex. We seem to forget that the act itself (of Hayden Kho and his women) is detestable. And that was the original sin followed by the videotaping and finally - the distribution.

If there was another interesting thing that this sex scandal brought about, it was how media and the moral psyche of the Filipino people were unearthed by the incident. Obviously, there was much criticism of the recording and distribution of the immoral act more than condemning the act itself. If this is the way our moral psyche goes as a people, then we are moving fast towards unlearning our moral values and norms.

Another danger is that our moral psyche as a people may be dragged into accepting the seemingly moral statement used again by Dr. Kho here: that society should "condemn the sin, not the sinner.." This is idiocy in the highest order. How can you separate the sin from the sinner?!! Shabu can proliferate in the market but if there are no users, it can do no harm and wrong. Promiscuous sex are mere words if nobody does it.

Frankly, my real fear is, when the society no longer abhors promiscuous sex and take it as moral for as long as it is done in utmost secrecy and in our most secluded privacy. Is this one clear symptom of a decaying moral order? Lord of the Heavens! Please come down and enlighten us once more.

3 comments:

  1. AsAlahmualaikum, Mayor,
    I am a classmate of Maugan.
    I believe this issue should be put to a close or put into a corner as this is a dispute between 2 adults(?).....
    This came out as early as December last year and it is speculated that Sen. Bong Revilla came out with a privilege speech with all the strong words against Kho-the purpose of which to deflect the public from the Sen. Villar C5 insertion investigation.Bong Revilla is a well known ally of Sen. Villar.
    Sex video are an old issue. In the past there was the Vivian Veles-Farinas film, Vilma Santos-Romeo Vasquez,Vic Sotto-Joey De Leon "rape",etc. Why there was public criticism about those I don't know.

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  2. Thank you for the comment BME.

    Sure, there will be no more public reaction if there are no more adults doing promiscuous sex and displayed in public!

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  3. I agree with BME. If the concerned "victims" have issues with the videos, the office to go to would have been the police or the NBI. The NBI will have the resources to pull it out of the net although it would have been to late to do so. She could have filed a case because we already have a law protecting women and children from abuse. The Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004 (Republic Act 9262)covers this case. There is also, I believe a new MAgna Carta for women recently passed. So what this senator doing?

    This is very sensitive issue and politicizing it is tantamount to abuse itself. It doesn't do any party (except the tabloids) any good by politicizing it. The senator should focus on his job of writing, deliberating and passing laws to protect the people instead of wasting taxpayers money grandstanding before the media. These senators have compensated themselves very well with people's money and the least that they could do is put forth an effort to do their job well - legislation! Stay away from investigations that can be resolved in the police or NBI level anyway.

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