Damsel in distress

JUST BE By Bernadette Sembrano
The Philippine Star 10/29/2006

Last Tuesday was one of the rare instances that I came home late on a work week. It was the Star Awards for Television, and I attended because our show, Magandang Umaga Pilipinas (MUP) was nominated for Best Morning Show. I had no plans of staying long because I had work the following day. I drove myself and met up with the rest of the gang at the University Theater at UP Diliman.

My plan of staying only for two hours became four, when the organizers requested that I would be a presenter for the Best Drama Series Category. By then, it was past midnight and everyone from MUP had already left.

Immediately after my part, I left the event. There were only a handful of people in front of the UP Theater at half past midnight. I went straight to my car parked in an alley beside the venue. It was dark and I saw a figure going towards my direction. 

The figure was a man in shorts, sando and slippers. He wore a T-shirt around his head like a turban. I walked slowly, heedful that he didn’t seem like someone who was going to attend the Star Awards. There were no houses in the area either, so his presence made me suspicious.

I walked slowly, trying to observe where this man was going. I waited to proceed until he passed me. Three paces after, I looked back and saw him come towards my direction. There were only two options: go to my car parked in the dark, or go back to where people could hear me in case I cried for help. I clutched my car key, the only thing I had with the semblance of a weapon and headed back to his direction. I tried to appear calm but my heart was pounding. There was nobody else there except us. I was thinking, if this man were to attack me, nobody would know. I breathed deeply, expecting the worst to happen.

Then, I saw a group of people boarding an SUV. I shouted "Excuse me!" and got their attention. I ran towards them – never mind that I was in heels and long gown. I was scared but I suddenly felt safe when the driver of the SUV called my name. It was actor Jess Lapid with his family. I told him about the man in the alley, and asked if he could escort me to the parking area.

There I saw the man seated next to my car. He smelled like liquor.

I got home safely that night, but I was shaken. It could have been paranoia, but the fear was so real because I felt so vulnerable in the parking lot of the University Theater, compounded by the fact that when I was studying in the university, there was a young woman who was raped. I can’t remember if she was a student.

I commute like everybody else. I take the tricycle, the cab, or the train. My parents and brothers scold me, but I insist. I am stubborn when it comes to these things. I am undaunted by the news that I read, and deliver every day, even if it’s never without a crime story. Besides, wasn’t it just recently that the Philippine National Police said that crime incidence has gone down by 42 percent during the third quarter of this year compared to the same period last year?! Street crimes went down from 4,157 to 2,404 reported cases. The PNP says, its police visibility program deters crime. Perhaps they are right. That night in the parking lot, I didn’t see a security guard. However, police visibility only gives a false sense of security. It is inconceivable to deploy a police officer in every corner to ward off criminals. A Manny Pacquiao boxing match every day might be more realistic! (During Manny’s last fight, there was not a single crime incident reported.)

Our only recourse is to avoid it. After the Star Awards incident, I approached Martin Aguda, ABS-CBN’s safey manager for some pointers. (This is for everyone, even for those outside the Philippines. Street crime is not unique to our country. It can happen anywhere you are.)