VIOLENCE against women is still prevalent in the Philippines, with cases rarely being reported, the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) said on Wednesday.
PCW chairperson Ermelita Valdeavilla lamented that the cases of violence against women are usually strained among family members.
”Una po, mayroon tayong problema sa pagtatala ng numero. Ang sabi po ng Philippine National Police, isa lamang sa sampung kaso ang nairereport so reporting is a problem because this kind of problem is more preferred to be kept in the confines of the family. Nahihiya po sila,” Valdeavilla said.
”’Yung iba po hindi nagrereport kasi wala po silang tiwala doon sa kanilang pinagrereportan o kaya hindi nila alam ang gagawin nila at di rin nila alam kung ano ang magiging resulta ng kanilang paglapit sa kanilang pagsusumbungan,” she added.
Valdeavilla also said that aside from a scientific study, there is an emerging problem over the protocols when it comes to how the public could intervene in incidents of violence against women.
The PCW made the statement amid the annual observance of the national 18-day Campaign to End VAW, which coincides with the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Republic Act No. 9262 or the Anti-VAWC Act of 2004.
It is an 18-day Campaign which serves as a national call to action. They aim to rally all sectors of the society led by the government agencies, local government units, women’s rights organizations, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, media entities, and private groups and individuals to reaffirm their commitment to the advocacy.
Data from the Philippine National Police showed 11,585 VAW-related cases in its Crime Information Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS) for 2023.
Among them include 8,055 cases under the Anti-VAWC Act (RA 9262), 2,791 cases under the Anti-Rape Law (RA 8353 as amended by RA 11648), 473 cases under the Safe Spaces Act (RA 11313), 59 cases under the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act (RA 7877), and 207 cases under the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (RA 9208 as amended by RA 11862.
