LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (PIA) -- The Commission on Human Rights - Cordillera (CHR-CAR) emphasized the significance of a whole-of-nation approach in dealing with violence against women (VAW).
Everyone has a role to play in ending VAW, said CHR-CAR Regional Director Romel Daguimol during the kapihan on the 18-Day Campaign to End VAW Monday, Dec. 12.
"Hindi kaya lang ng gobyerno ang pag-end ng violence against women kundi lahat ng sektor ng lipunan, kasama 'yung mga private citizen, must contribute particularly in reporting cases of VAW na nakikita nila sa kanilang lokalidad. We should be partners in order to ensure that we have a VAW-free Cordillera," Daguimol stressed.
He added that there is a need to educate the barangay actors particularly the barangay VAW desks to become active partners in the enforcement of programs for the people in the barangays.
Under the Magna Carta of Women, the CHR is mandated to act as a gender ombud and come up with plans and procedures in order to ensure that women's rights particularly pertaining to both developmental and ending discrimination, oppression and violence committed against women are included in all aspects of governance as well as in all aspects of society.
Daguimol enjoined the local government units to localize laws thru ordinances for the better implementation of VAW-related edicts.
He reported that the CHR-CAR docketed 16 cases of Violence Against Women and their Children (VAWC) this year, of which, majority is rape or sexual abuse
Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office - Cordillera (PROCOR) recorded more than 2,000 Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases from 2019 to 2022 in the region. There were 731 recorded cases in 2019, 487 in 2020, and 480 in 2021. Most of the cases were reported in Baguio City, followed by Benguet, and Ifugao. The top 3 GBV cases are rape, violation on anti-VAWC, and act of lasciviousness.
With the said cases, PROCOR Women and Children Protection Desk Regional Chief PMaj. Marcy Grace Marron reiterated their commitment to end VAW.
"We continue our advocacy and awareness campaign and we strengthen our partnership with the different committees and agencies. We sustain our police operations, we strictly implement 'yung mga ordinances namin, and we continuously capacitate 'yung mga WCPD personnel to handle cases. Meron din po kaming mga best practices na ini-implement, and we conduct also Men Opposed to Violence Everywhere seminar to men," Marron said. (JDP/DEG-PIA CAR)
