Gabriela to help victims of chat group that shared their private photos, videos

MANILA, Philippines— Gabriela Women’s Party on Thursday said it is ready to help female university students whose private photographs and videos were shared and exposed in a leaked group chat without their consent seek justice.

The women’s group made the call after an anonymous Twitter account with username “leaks_anon” claimed that some male students of University of Santo Tomas repeatedly shared private photos and videos of students in a Facebook group chat.

Apparently, the sharing of lewd photos targeting female university students is rampant! We strongly condemn this as we open our lines to the victims to discuss possible courses of action #LabananAngAbuso https://t.co/gdiWDalOKl

— Gabriela Women's Party (@GabrielaWomenPL) May 30, 2019

Gabriela denounced the sharing of the private photos and videos.

“Apparently, the sharing of lewd photos targeting female university students is rampant! We strongly condemn this as we open our lines to the victims to discuss possible courses of action,” the women’s group said.

The Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009 penalizes capturing and sharing "an image of the private area of a person/s such as the naked or undergarment clad genitals, public area, buttocks or female breast without the consent of the person/s involved and under circumstances in which the person/s has/have a reasonable expectation of privacy."

Private chat

The anonymous online Twitter user posted several screenshots of the supposed private chat and said the people supposedly in the group chat were engineering students of UST.

The user also alleged that one of the members is a professor.

The supposedly leaked conversation also showed that the students had a Google drive containing the vulgar photos and videos not just of UST students but also minors from other schools in Metro Manila.

“Yung mga baboy mula sa UST Engineering, hindi lang sa UST tuma-target ng private photos na i-li-leak. Halos lahat ng schools sa Metro Manila -- college man o high school (na menor de edad) -- may files sila,” the anonymous online user alleged.

(The pigs from UST Engineering, did not just target private photos of UST students to leak but also from almost all the schools in Metro Manila – college or high school (minors) – they have files)

The administrator of the anonymous account, meanwhile, said coordination wth UST and other national advocacy groups is ongoing to file a case against the male students.

“If you're a victim or if you know one, please don't be afraid to come forward. Our DMs are open. We'll fight this battle with you,” it said.

We are currently coordinating with teams from UST and other national advocacy groups to file a case. If you're a victim or if you know one, please don't be afraid to come forward. Our DMs are open. We'll fight this battle with you. https://t.co/6dtir4yvRN

— Anon Leaks (@leaks_anon) May 30, 2019

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