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Justice, closure comes for ‘Viral Scandal’s’ rape survivor

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Anjo Bagaoisan, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Charlie Dizon portrays rape survivor Rica in " Viral="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/entertainment/05/14/20220514-charlie-dizon-viral-scandal.jpg"/><figcaption>Charlie Dizon portrays rape survivor Rica in &#x27;Viral Scandal.&#x27; <em>ABS-CBN</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — After a seemingly uphill climb to both find justice and prove her story to a fickle public swayed by social media, the rape survivor and her family at the center of the ABS-CBN drama-thriller series “Viral Scandal” finally attains closure.</p><p>In the show’s finale aired on Friday, Rica Sicat (Charlie Dizon) wins a court case against her rapist Jigs Ramones (Markus Paterson) over a year since he took advantage of her and illicitly recorded a video of their encounter.</p><p>Rica’s rape complaint had at last been heard in court after the original sex video had been recovered and Jigs’s other victims came out to support Rica.</p><p>Yet the final turn of the case came from the disgraced councilor’s own admission of guilt on the witness stand.</p><p>It was a personal reckoning for Jigs, who until that point tried to maintain his innocence in the affair to clear his name for a return to politics.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Df9m0qaNX5Y?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>His 180-degree-turn, however, resulted in Jigs’s grandfather, patriarch Alberto Ramones (Jong Cuenco) suffering a heart attack and ending up disabled.</p><p>Most of the tension and threads of the series’s other subplots had already been resolved in the penultimate episode of the teleserye. </p><p>In the pre-finale, antagonist Bobby Ramones (Gian Magdangal) fell to his death during a confrontation with his adopted brother and Rica’s birth father Troy (Jake Cuenca) and Rica’s lover Kyle Constantino (Joshua Garcia), while a past abuser’s attempt to kidnap Rica’s mother Karla Sicat (Dimples Romana) was foiled. </p><div><strong>NEW BEGINNINGS</strong></div><p>The coast is clear for Rica’s 2 family circles to move forward with their lives away from the gaze of social media, which had upended their careers and relationships.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oGL_-q0a8LY?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>Troy, who resigned the mayorship, evolved into a hotel magnate and philanthropist who chose to end the cycle of abuse in his family by taking care of his paraplegic father.</p><p>The series’s end also gives a glimpse into the beginnings of new love and friendships.</p><p>While Troy still divorced his wife Audrey (Maxene Magalona), his friendship with long-time ally and lawyer Laura Dizon (Ria Atayde) enters a different level. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/05/04/22/viral-scandal-cast-share-importance-of-family-support">&#x27;Viral Scandal&#x27; cast share importance of family support for cybercrime victims</a></li></ul><p>Karla Sicat, once Troy’s mistress, makes peace with Audrey, who decided to study fashion design in Paris.</p><p>There are stirrings of a romance between Rica’s half-sister Raven (Kaila Estrada) and Rica’s former suitor Axel (Jameson Blake).</p><p>The show concludes by reaffirming the love stories that stood the test of the scandals throughout its run: teens Bea (Karina Bautista) and Pogs (Aljon Mendoza), parents Karla and Dan (Miko Raval), and series leads Rica and Kyle.</p><p>Back at the rooftop where their paths crossed during Rica’s lowest moment, she reflects with Kyle on the love and support from family and friends that never left her side.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/10/28/21/how-jake-cuenca-relates-to-story-of-viral-scandal">&#x27;Ang dali nating maghusga&#x27;: Jake Cuenca shares how he relates to &#x27;Viral Scandal&#x27;</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/05/12/22/paalala-ni-miko-raval-maging-responsable-online">Paalala ni Miko Raval ng &#x27;Viral Scandal&#x27;: Maging responsable online</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/11/02/21/maxene-magalona-almost-quit-showbiz-during-pandemic">Why Maxene Magalona considered quitting showbiz during pandemic</a></li></ul><div><strong>‘VIRAL’ COMMENTARY</strong></div><p>Originally titled “Viral”, the series produced by ABS-CBN’s RCD Narratives unit and helmed by Dado Lumibao and Froy Allan Leonardo ran for 6 months.</p><p>It was a localized take on the global #MeToo movement that also looped in the impact of disinformation and social media in both building and destroying reputations and lives.</p><p>While its plot already touches on power dynamics in local politics with the powerful Ramones clan, “Viral Scandal” also made direct commentary via its dialogue on injustice, the war on drugs, and other sociopolitical issues in the Philippines.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">When you sneak in a point in the middle of a highly charged argument.<br/><br/>Maxene, Maxene…<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ViralScandal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ViralScandal</a> <a href="https://t.co/gzaLh7viGO">pic.twitter.com/gzaLh7viGO</a></p>— Anjo Bagaoisan (@anjo_bagaoisan) <a href="https://twitter.com/anjo_bagaoisan/status/1505782199228186625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>Yong totoo <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ViralScandal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ViralScandal</a>? <a href="https://t.co/KZxMeNxn4i">pic.twitter.com/KZxMeNxn4i</a></p>— Anjo Bagaoisan (@anjo_bagaoisan) <a href="https://twitter.com/anjo_bagaoisan/status/1481476564219236352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>Viewers also noted the show’s attempts to educate its audience about female empowerment and recovery from rape and trauma.</p><p>It also used its screen to explain the processes of the legal system and even the meaning of online shorthand and terminologies.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Episode 1. Boomer.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ViralScandal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ViralScandal</a> <a href="https://t.co/MjrzYeGl92">pic.twitter.com/MjrzYeGl92</a></p>— ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏɴʟɪɴᴇ ᴋᴀᴘᴀᴍɪʟʏᴀ (@AltKapamilyaOL) <a href="https://twitter.com/AltKapamilyaOL/status/1463516107231272967?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2021</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>“Viral Scandal” will be succeeded in “Primetime Bida” on May 16 with the Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla reunion offering “2 Good 2 Be True”. </p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2032345" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The series’s end also gives a glimpse into the beginnings of new love and friendships.

Justice, closure comes for ‘Viral Scandal’s’ rape survivor

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Justice, closure comes for ‘Viral Scandal’s’ rape survivor

Anjo Bagaoisan,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 14, 2022 07:51 AM PHT

|

Updated May 14, 2022 08:09 AM PHT

Read More:

Viral Scandal

Charlie Dizon

Jake Cuenca

Dimples Romana

Miko Raval

Markus Paterson

Joshua Garcia

Jong Cuenco

Gian Magdangal

Maxene Magalona

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