RA 7877 – Anti Sexual Harassment Act of 1995

Historical Background

The enactment of RA 7877 on February 14, 1995 was a landmark legislation victory for those who
advocate equality of rights of women and children, considered to be vulnerable sectors of the macho-
dominated Philippine society. This law was only among the few yet significant legislative enactments
done during the 1990s which include RA 7192-Women in Development and Nation Building Act of 1992,
among others.

The 1990s can be considered as a decade of challenging times as the country grapples from the
remnants of the dictatorship, spoiled military, natural calamities, OFWs put to death in Singapore and
controversies involving sexual harassments.

Remember the controversial “Kissing Lolo”, former Comelec Commissioner Manolo Gorospe who was
accused of stealing a kiss from his fellow commissioner Remedios Salazar Fernando (who later became
justice of the Court of Appeals) in 1994 and the VHS recording of talent manager Jojo Veloso doing acts
of lasciviousness to one of his talents, Hans Montenegro, also in the early 1990s.

The last two controversies of national interests triggered the attention of equal rights advocates and
their supporters in congress to lobby for the passing of a law penalizing sexual harassment which paved
the way for the enactment of this law.

RA 7877 – 24 years after

Critics of RA 7877 finds the law too lame as it imposes weak or light penalties to the offenders and still
cannot stand its way to the macho-dominated and victim-blaming Filipino society. The provisions
contained in the law are also general in nature as it passes the responsibility of defining the operational
definition of what are grave, less grave and light offenses to the different agencies in public and private
sectors.

Twenty four years after, the law was expanded and is now clearly defined under RA 11313 or the Safe
Spaces Act of 2019.