Low number of violence vs. women cases filed in court noted

By Rachelle M. Nessia

DUMAGUETE CITY, Nov. 30 (PIA) --- Only a handful of the cases involving violence against women that are brought to the attention of authorities in Dumaguete City end up in court.

Officials from the Dumaguete City Police Office and a non-government organization assisting women victims of violence attribute the low percentage of violence against women cases filed in court to several reasons, primary of which is poverty.

Atty. Janette Icao, senior in-house counsel of Gender Watch Against Violence and Exploitation (GWAVE), described violence against women (VAW) as having “the face of poverty.”

“The poorer the woman is, the more she is vulnerable to violence,” said Icao during a recent forum held at Bethel Guesthouse to mark the 18-day Campaign to End Violence and Abuse Against Women and Children.

Icao is quick to add, though, that women in upper-class families are also experiencing violence. “In fact, there are professionals who have approached us seeking our help but it’s more difficult for them to come out due to their status in life,” she said.

GWAVE is a non-profit organization based in Dumaguete City addressing gender-based violence.

In her talk during said forum, Icao said GWAVE served a total of 1,210 clients between January 2007 to October 2011, most of which involve domestic violence or 823 cases followed by rape including incest, statutory, rape under RA 7610 and attempted rape with 135 cases.

Of the total, only 20.9% of them filed cases before the Prosecutor’s Office and in the courts, said Icao.

Majority or 78.3% of GWAVE’s clients are indigents.

SPO4 Josefa Lacandula of the Women’s and Children’s Concern Desk (WCCD) at the Dumaguete City Police Office said the number of their VAW clients who actually file cases against their abusers are even lower than GWAVE’s.

Although she didn’t cite statistics, Lacandula said most of their clients only go to the WCCD to have their cases recorded for future reference or for annulment and legal separation.

“Only very few of them will sue their abusers,” she said.

Victims who do sue would eventually drop the case because they have either forgiven their abusive husband or settled the case off-court.

Lacandula pointed out that financial constraints often deter women from pursuing their case.

She said that one of WCCD’s challenges is how to get the victims to undergo psychological testing since the victims don’t have the money to pay the testing fee.

“We believe that for every physical abuse there is a psychological abuse,” she said.

Most of the cases involving violations of Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act that were reported to the city’s WCCD are physical abuse, followed by psychological and emotional abuse, and economic abuse. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)

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IP, Bukidnon Magahat tribe in NegOr benefits 4Ps

by Jennifer Catan-Tilos

DUMAGUETE CITY, Nov. 29 (PIA) Some 56 families of Bukidnon Magahat, an indigenous people (IP) from the town of Basay, Negros Oriental are identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to benefit the Pantawid Pamilya, a poverty reduction program of the government.

According to DSWD Information Officer Aileen Lariba, in celebration of IP Day in barangay Cabatuanan, Basay recently, the DSWD emphasized the importance of education, health and convergence of services that help alleviate the struggle against poverty and social boundaries experience by the minority.

On the same occasion, the local government unit (LGU) of Basay headed by Mayor Dandilgust Abrio made its services available to the IP by distributing medicines, vitamins and provided medicines, vitamins and conducted health classes to pregnant and lactating IP mothers.

The IPs has also been trained to raise on poultry and livestock with the use of artificial insemination by an agricultural technician from Bayawan City.

The Development Management Officer of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) together with the Municipal Social Welfare office facilitated the exclusive free birth registration for the Bukidnon Magahat while the Municipal Treasurer was on standby to issue a Certificate of Residence at a special rate of P5.00 each, giving this minority a chance for a name and an identity, said Lariba.

As Evelyn Tierne, 34 years old and mother of five children said “pirmiro pa gyud ni nga higayon nga gi-anhi mi ug serbisyo. Ug sukad karon ko nakakita ug Mayor nga niapil ug serbisyo namo mga Magahat. Gaan akong paminaw nga magdako akong anak nga dili kahadlukan ug na-ay posibilidad nga lahi ug mu-arang arang ang kabutang inig kadako” (this is the first time that services came to us and for me to see a Mayor joining in giving services to the Magahat. A heavy burden has been lifted because I know my children will grow up not to be feared and that it is possible for them to have a better life growing up).

Mayor Abrio seeing the hunger for services in his constituents, promised to have the road paved and evened as soon as weather permits in order for the agencies to make a follow up of services delivered and for other agencies experience the opportunity of delivering their services where it is needed the most.

Pantawid Pamilya may be a poverty alleviation strategy of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to identified poor households with children ages 0-14 years old. A P500 per month each household is allocated for health and P300 per month each child for education, but a maximum three children only is considered for the program.

For these households to continue receiving the grant for five years, they have to comply with the following conditions; pre-natal and post-natal for pregnant women, immunization and weighing for their children, preventive health check-ups once a month at their health center, de-worming and 85% attendance of children in school.

Lariba said “it has also been proven to be a significant vehicle for social change and development for most vulnerable individuals such as the indigenous tribe of Bukidnon Magahat in Cabatuanan Basay.” (PIA/JCT)