- Kapatid News Department is on the hot seat after disclosing confidential suspects’ information.
- News5 published in their report about the HIV status of one of the suspects.
- Netizens and advocates from the lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transexual, and queer (LGBTQ) community slammed PDEA and media outlets.
After the successful buy-bust operation Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Taguig, News5 occupied the hot seat after baring the suspects’ mugshots and HIV status. PDEA found ecstasy, methamphetamine or shabu, gamma hydroxybutyrate, also known as ‘club drug’ or ‘date rape’ drug in the hotel room.
In a report published by Rappler.com, Kapatid News Department bared some confidential information about the suspects. They even disclosed that one of them tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). News5 immediately took down the Facebook post after being in the broiler.
Netizens especially members from LGBTQ community began to argue that by revealing the suspects’ identities and exposing one of them as HIV-positive, News5 and PDEA only helped reinforce the stigma attached to the LGBTQ community and PLHIV. According to them, such actions violate Republic Act 8504 or the Philippines AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998, noting that they revealed the identities of the suspects while “creating a media frenzy around their sexual orientation,” and implying that one of them is a person living with HIV.
Coincidentally, the incident came three days before the world observes the “World AIDS Day” on Friday, December 1.
Dinagat Island Representative Kaka Bag-ao expressed his sentiments about the issue and slammed PDEA and media outlets for their wrong handling on the issue.
Huwag nating ipagpatuloy ang pagbibigay ng stigma sa pagkakaroon ng HIV…Napakarami pa ring misconceptions at misinformation ang kumakalat. Binigyan pa ng mga ulat na ito ng pagkakataon ang mga taong kulang sa kaalaman na husgahan kaagad ang mga PLHIV sa social media,” Bag-ao said in a statement.
See other netizens’ reactions on the issue:
Mikhail Quijano: The point of this whole issue isn’t that these 11 guys are gay, in an orgy, or allegedly living with HIV. The illegal act was that it was drug related—end of story.
Putting their identities on full display and creating a media frenzy around their sexual orientation and practices is incomprehensibly stupid and downright malicious.
Publishing that “one of them is HIV positive” is ILLEGAL under RA8504. The public has no business with their alleged HIV status.
Go ahead and nab people without killing them for pushing illegal narcotics—you’re doing your job a bit better than most, I’ll give you that. (NOTE: in another conversation, we desperately need to talk about harm reduction and drug use/abuse as a Mental Health issue).
But this public castigation is just immeasurably harmful not just to these people, but to both the LGBTQ community and those living with HIV.
What the PDEA and media have done are unethical and cruel. Check the comments sections. People are conflating drug use and immorality with being gay, with being HIV positive.
We’re barely keeping our heads above the water. There’s so much stigma and discrimination that we’re fighting against. Sure, the Anti-Discrimination bill is inching forward; there are amendments to the HIV Act to accommodate better testing, care, and management (though proper Sex Ed is still being heavily contested).
BUT these laws and bills take time to properly seep into culture. And everyday, with comments like “kadiri, bakla” and “yuck, yan kaya kayo nagkaka-HIV,” we just take leaps backward, undoing the small forward-steps we’re painfully trying to make.
If you posted a comment or shared that news article with the mugshots of the arrested, feasting on their identities like gossip-hungry hyenas—shame on you. You’re part of the problem.
Cleve Arguelles: It is an irresponsible use of the power of the media to disclose the HIV status of anyone in a news story, even those arrested for a crime. It is both unethical and illegal. The story is about drug possession and use in a “sex party”. Not about HIV or homosexuality. To include the latter in the story is to reinforce misinformed perceptions about the LGBT or PLHIV communities. With the power of the media, it is so easy to undo all the work of the non-discrimination advocates in both communities.
Jansen Andal: So I really dont find it necessary to post the mug shots and names of the individuals involved in this incident and have the public discover who they are as what news 5 did and PLEASE, there is a confidentiality that the media should consider with regards to the health condition of one of the persons involved. The media did all means already to hype the incident and the stigma, adding the sex party and the health condition. Boo. I hope they can just focus on the drugs instead and not dwell in another context of shame.
And of course, the lgbt community will always have a say about this. So get ready.
“To publicly expose one’s HIV status – through mass media – is blatantly irresponsible. Isn’t this covered by the Philippines AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998? Isn’t it against the ethics of journalism?”
“We have made great progress and knowledge about the transmission of the disease (protective barriers, PREP, undetectable = untransmissible) yet we perpetuate and feed the stigma associated with HIV.”
“I submit to fact that having sex under the influence of alcohol or drugs remains a risk factor. But like our approach in HIV educ, this should not be used to degrade or judge, rather a learning point. Educate and empower – with sexual positivism and unconditional positive regard.”
“I hope News5 will be responsible enough to take down the pictures of these suspects. That is a violation of their dignity and the presumption of their innocence and smears their name and reputation.”
Meanwhile, PDEA spokesman Derrick Carreon yesterday apologized for the disclosure, saying PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino “was reading the report and unintentionally mentioned it.”
