All I want to do is vent my frustration. I'm Carla, 32 years old, married but we don't have any children yet. Our life used to be going well, but since my husband lost his job, we suddenly had a hard time. I'm the only one scraping by while he's constantly looking for work. We've been four months behind on our rent and almost every day I'm nervous that the landlord might evict us.
The owner of the apartment we were renting was very rude. He said that our two months advance and two months deposit were gone so we had to leave. We were doing everything we could to find money to pay, but my income was really low. So every day I was carrying a lot of weight—I didn't know where else we were going to get the money.
One day, he came while my husband was away. I couldn't believe what he said. He said that even if we didn't pay the four months' arrears of ₱15,000, we could still live in the apartment... but in exchange for my body. It felt like cold water had been poured over me. My ears pricked, I couldn't help but curse at him and throw him out of the house. I didn't think he could do such a dirty thing to me.
My husband arrived just in time with money. He owed ₱15,000 to pay the rent arrears. I couldn't tell him what happened because I didn't want to cause trouble. I knew he might not be able to handle what he was hearing and might suddenly go crazy against the landlord. So what I did was install CCTV in the living room so I would have evidence in case he repeated his obscenity. And it's true, his rude words were recorded there.
Now, I'm confused about whether to tell my husband. I have evidence, and it's clear that he did sexual harassment. I know I have to fight for it, but I'm also afraid of the consequences. I don't want the situation to get worse, but I know that if I don't stand up for it, he might do it again with another woman.
This kind of indecency should not be tolerated. Women should not be silenced. Even if life is difficult, it is no reason to abuse someone like me who is just working hard for the family. Now, I am thinking of telling my husband the whole story and filing a complaint together. The truth is, this is not just against me—it is against all women who experience this kind of abuse.
