Press Release
April 6, 2020

Gatchalian warns of potential spike in domestic violence amid lockdowns

As countries under COVID-19 lockdowns see a surge in domestic violence, Senator Win Gatchalian is urging the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and Their Children (IACVAWC) to ensure that the implementation of Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 remains in full force.

Prior to the spike in the cases of COVID-19 in the country, the Center for Women's Resources in early March already reported that violence against women continues to be among the issues that haunt women and children. The training institution for women raised the alarm as recent data on violence against women and children (VAWC) showed that at least one woman or child is abused every 10 minutes in the country.

Data on nationwide violence against women and children from the Philippine National Police-Women and Children Protection Center (PNP-WCPC) showed there were 9,935 reported cases from April to June 2019.

Gatchalian said quarantine measures may lead to a surge in domestic violence and make it harder for victims to go out of their homes to seek help.

Reports of domestic abuses in Paris had jumped 36% and 32% elsewhere in France since the country began a nationwide lockdown on March 17. The cases included two murders. In Malaysia, the Women and Family Development Ministry's helpline for women and children received 1,893 calls in nine days or a spike of 57% since the partial lockdown in the country started.

"Kahit na nasa ilalim tayo ng isang enhanced community quarantine, patuloy dapat ang pagkilos ng mga ahensya ng ating gobyerno na nagbibigay proteksyon sa mga inaabusong kababaihan at kabataan. Hindi natin dapat hayaang maging talamak ang karahasan lalo na't nasa gitna tayo ng isang krisis" said Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.

Gatchalian emphasized the key role of barangays since they are often nearest to victims and witnesses of abuse. Under the Protocol for Case Management of Child Victims of Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation drafted by the Committee for the Special Protection of Children, barangays must have help desks that will monitor cases of child abuse and violence against women. Barangays are also mandated to coordinate with social workers, health officials, and women and children protection units to give intervention and assistance to the victims.

Gatchalian also called on the National Bureau of Investigation's Violence Against Women and Children Desk (NBI-VACWD) and the Philippine National Police's Women and Children Protection Center (PNP-WCPC) to be more vigilant and accessible.

According to the National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children in the Philippines published in 2016, about three in five children aged 13-24 experienced any form of physical violence during childhood, with 60 percent of these cases happening at home.

The study also revealed that almost three out of five children have been verbally abused, threatened, or abandoned by parents or guardians. Among children aged 13-18, 13.7 percent experienced sexual abuse at home.

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Gatchalian nagbabala sa maaaring pag-akyat ng karahasan sa mga tahanan

Hinimok ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and Their Children o IACVAWC na siguruhing patuloy ang pagpapatupad ng Republic Act 9262 o ang Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004.

Ito ay dahil sa nakitang pag-akyat ng mga kaso ng karahasan sa mga kabataan at mga kababaihan sa mga bansang nasa ilalim ng lockdown dahil sa COVID-19. Nananatili ring suliranin sa bansa ang patuloy na karahasan laban sa mga kabataan at kababaihan. Ayon sa Center for Women's Resources, may isang bata o babae sa bansa ang nakararanas ng pang-aabuso sa bawat sampung (10) minuto.

Mula Abril hanggang Hunyo noong nakaraang taon, lumalabas na halos sampung libong (9,935) mga kaso ang naitala ng Philippine National Police-Women and Children Protection Center o PNP-WCPC.

Ayon naman kay Gatchalian, ang mga patakaran ng quarantine ay maaaring magdulot ng mas maraming mga kaso ng pang-aabuso sa tahanan. Dagdag pa ng senador, mas mahihirapan din ang mga biktima na lumabas sa kanilang mga tahanan upang makahingi ng tulong.

Sa bansang France, umakyat ng halos apatnapung (36) porsyento ang mga kaso ng pang-aabuso sa Paris at mahigit tatlumpung (32) porsyento naman sa ibang bahagi ng bansa. Kabilang sa mga ito ang dalawang kaso ng pagpatay. Siyam (9) na araw naman matapos magsimula ang lockdown sa Malaysia, iniulat ng helpline ng Women and Family Development Ministry na umabot sa halos animnapung (57) porsyento o halos isang libo't siyam na raan (1,893) ang karagdagang tawag na natanggap nito.

"Kahit na nasa ilalim tayo ng isang enhanced community quarantine, patuloy dapat ang pagkilos ng mga ahensya ng ating gobyerno na nagbibigay proteksyon sa mga inaabusong kababaihan at kabataan. Hindi natin dapat hayaang maging talamak ang karahasan lalo na't nasa gitna tayo ng isang krisis" ani Gatchalian, Chairman ng Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.

Binigyang-diin ni Gatchalian ang mahalagang papel ng mga barangay dahil sila ang pinakamalapit sa mga biktima at mga saksi ng pang-aabuso. Sa ilalim ng Protocol for Case Management of Child Victims of Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation ng Committee for the Special Protection of Children, mandato sa mga barangay ang magkaroon ng mga help desks para sa mga kaso ng pang-aabuso at karahasan. Tungkulin din ng mga barangay na makipag-ugnayan sa mga social workers, health officials, at sa mga women and children protection units upang mabigyan ng tulong ang mga biktima.

Hinimok din ni Gatchalian ang Violence Against Women and Children Desk ng National Bureau of Investigation o NBI-VACWD at ang PNP-WCPC na maging alerto at handa sa pagtugon sa mga matatanggap nilang mga ulat.

Ayon sa National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children in the Philippines, tatlo sa bawat limang kabataan na may edad labintatlo (13) hanggang dalawampu't apat (24) ang nakaranas ng pisikal na karahasan sa kanilang pagkabata. Animnapung (60) porsyento sa mga kasong ito ay nangyayari sa loob ng mga tahanan.

Dagdag din ng naturang pag-aaral, tatlo sa limang kabataan din ang nakaranas ng verbal abuse, pagbabanta, at pag-aabandona mula sa kanilang mga magulang o guardians. Sa mga kabataang may edad na labintatlo (13) hanggang labing-walo (18), halos labing-apat (13.7) na porsyento naman ang nakaranas na pang-aabusong sekswal sa kanilang mga tahanan.

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