Bacolod Radio Anchor Suspended Indefinitely Following Outrage Over On-Air Rape Joke

CONTENT ADVISORY: The following article contains explicit references to sexual violence, sexual harassment, and rape jokes. Reader discretion is advised.

Management at K5 News FM Bacolod 101.5 has officially placed radio anchor Jean Paul C. Generoso under indefinite suspension following intense public backlash over a rape joke directed at a female journalist during a live broadcast.

The incident, which occurred on Wednesday morning during Generoso's program 11MBPS, has drawn swift condemnation from civil society, local government leaders, and national media watchdogs.

The On-Air Incident

The controversy erupted while the station was handling a live field report concerning a sensitive case of physical child abuse. The reporter on the scene was detailing a police report regarding a father who had beaten his six-year-old daughter at the Bacolod City Public Plaza.

Interrupting the report, Generoso stated on-air that he wanted to be jailed alongside the suspect, repeatedly asking the female journalist if he could "rape" her so he would be arrested. Visual footage of the live broadcast captured the female reporter looking visibly uncomfortable and uneasy as sound effects of laughter played in the background.

Swift Condemnation and Legal Scrutiny

The Gabriela Women’s Party issued a fierce public statement denouncing the broadcaster. The group stressed that "rape is never a joke or a punchline" and labeled Generoso's behavior a direct violation of Republic Act No. 11313, otherwise known as the Safe Spaces Act (Bawal Bastos Law).

The Gabriela Women’s Party condemned the act as a normalization of sexual violence, particularly noting the irony of making such jokes during a report on abuse. Bacolod City Councilor Celia Matea Flor, chair of the committee on women, gender, and family welfare, echoed these concerns, calling the act a form of intimidation that silences victims. Furthermore, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) strongly condemned the incident, reinforcing the need for media to maintain high ethical standards, a sentiment echoed by the Negros Press Club (NPC).

Station Response and Apology

Following the outcry, the station initiated an internal investigation. Generoso subsequently issued an apology for his actions.