By Marane A. Plaza
We’ve seen it before, and in the still-patriarchal, dangerous world we live in, we will probably see it again. Women are mercilessly being bashed and trashed eternally once their nude photos or sex videos are leaked on the Internet, as if the real shame does not belong to the sick, disgusting predators who take pleasure from “sextortion” or “revenge porn”.
In the early aughts called the Y2K era, we witnessed how model and socialite Paris Hilton was reduced to a low-level sex kitten when a sensual video of her with then-boyfriend Rick Salomon was released onto the Internet without her permission. The material was leaked in 2004, but Paris was reportedly only 19 years old when the video was filmed. And needless to say, it was an intimate moment caught on tape with someone she was romantically involved with.
“People called it a scandal. It wasn’t. It was abuse,” Paris said in her powerful speech during a Capitol Hill event in Washington, D.C. alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in early 2026, as the reality TV star lobbied for the “Defiance Act” in the USA. The bill is poised to protect victims of non-consensual Artificial intelligence (AI) or ‘deepfake’ images in the States.
As sad as it is, women are still at risk to be put in such vulnerable situations two decades later since Hilton’s infamous incident. Private materials of women being leaked onto the Internet and the shaming that comes with it are still considered entertainment by some sickos. Even worse now, fake sensual images and clips featuring innocent women can be easily produced these days with the help of AI. Odd that with the fast advancement of technology nowadays, society is still slow to protect women and young girls against this kind of predicament.
When “Conservative Culture” Covers The Abuse
In the Philippines, punishment against ‘sextortion’ is slowed down even more by the culture of “kahihiyan” – or prioritizing protecting the victims’ and their family’s image by covering up the abuse, rather than pursuing justice for them.
In our interview with Atty. Karen Baldonado-Guillermo, a fellow of Angat Bayi, a Filipina-led organization dedicated to empowering women in politics, governance, and humanitarian work through feminist leadership and former General Legal Counsel of Junior Chamber International Philippines, the lawyer described the landscape in the Philippines regarding ‘sextortion’ or ‘revenge porn’ threats experienced by Filipina women. According to Atty. Karen, ‘sextortion’ or a serious form of online blackmail where an attacker threatens to release intimate or sexual images or videos of a victim unless they comply with specific demands, such as sending money, providing more explicit content, or continuing a relationship, is much more common in the country than we acknowledge.
“I can describe it as very… still conservative. In the sense that although we have existing laws like the ‘Safe Spaces Act 2019’, ‘Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act’, and ‘Cybercrime Prevention Act’, women in the Philippines are very conservative in handling their experience with ‘sextortion’ in the sense that they tend to hide their emotions or identities while faced with the threat and abuse, even to the extent that they do not want to expose themselves because of the word ‘kahihiyan’. That’s because our upbringing here in the Philippines is so conservative,” Atty. Karen said. “That’s the problem. Statistically speaking, there are so few who pursue or win the VAWC cases.”
VAWC or Republic Act No. 9262, is the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 in the country.
“You’d be surprised that the parents themselves would discourage their daughters who are ‘sextortion’ victims from filing a case because of ‘kahihiyan’ or shame. Or sometimes in the case of the wives being abused by their husbands by threatening to release private sex videos, wives tend to settle also because they’re afraid to tarnish the image of the fathers of their kids.”
She continued, “So in that sense, it’s difficult to protect Filipina victims sometimes, because even if there are existing laws protecting the abuse victims here in the Philippines, in the end, they tend to not pursue the criminal cases against their abusers as they usually settle for a compromise agreement. And the main reason is they’re too ashamed to share further about the abuse they’d experienced, and would rather hide themselves and their identities, and not pursue justice anymore. That’s the sad reality. In Western countries, women are bolder and braver in reporting such incidents as they care less about the impact on their image. Justice is more important to them.”
Women empowerment, or the lack thereof, is also an issue among Filipina sextortion victims.
“The reality is that through the lens of Filipina women as victims of ‘sextortion’, ‘revenge porn’ or ‘sexual abuse’ in general, Filipinas are not yet empowered enough.”
“Aside from there’s the stigma of ‘kahihiyan’ in our culture, especially because we still pressure women to have the ‘Maria Clara’ image and traits like being demure, innocent-like and conservative, there’s also the lack of ‘economic empowerment’ as they worry about the costs of pursuing a criminal case. There’s also the lack of ‘knowledge empowerment’ or being informed on what to do,” Atty. Karen added.
“So if you’re wondering if there are Philippine laws protecting women against the release of explicit materials as threats, yes, there are laws. But the typical problem is, Filipina victims tend to be lost in the process, because they tend to just give up and surrender along the way, and they tend to settle…”
What To Do When Threatened With ‘Sextortion’
When faced with threats of releasing your intimate photos onto the net, Atty. Karen advised that you do the following:
1. Keep all the proofs of threat.
“Collect all the screenshots of the text messages or social media messages capturing the threat of the attacker to release your private nude photos or videos on the Internet. Gather as much evidence that you can.”
2. File a police report or barangay report.
“You don’t necessarily need to bring all your evidences yet, but go to the police and file a report about the threat of ‘sextortion’ or ‘revenge porn’ so there’s immediate documentation of the case.”
3. Get a protective order from the LGU.
“Request for protective orders from your barangay or local police.
There is something called a BPO, or Barangay Protection Order which can help you be protected from your abuser for at least a few days.”
4. Report the harassment to the social media platform admins.
“Whether the message of threat or ‘sextortion’ was sent on Facebook or Instagram, or any other social media platforms, you may also report the form of harassment in the platforms used. That’s a good documentation as well for further use.”
5. File a report at NBI’s Cybercrime Division.
“You can also report at the Cybercrime Division of NBI. There is a division there that is specializing in chasing the URL, the profile, everything. They can trace everything about your abuser there.”
6. File for VAWC case.
“File for the Anti-Violence Against Women and the Child–Children Act case against your abuser. This law may also be related to non-consensual sharing on the part of an intimate partner. And the abuse may be defined as psychological and emotional abuse, including threats, of course, to expose intimate materials to control or coerce the partner.”
7. Do not pay or give in.
“Stop all communication with your abuser. Do not pay the blackmailer or send more private images. Negotiation does not work: Giving in to demands rarely stops the blackmailer, and they will likely ask for more.”
In an ideal world, there should be no space for ‘sextortion’ or ‘revenge porn’. But unfortunately, that’s not the reality we live in. Being informed on what initial, basic steps to do, and following through with the process of fighting for justice, can protect women’s well-being in the long run.
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