More Charges Against Househelp Abuse

The drama that was the abuse and illegal detention case filed against Mariano Tanenglian, brother of business tycoon Lucio Tan, and his family by their former housemaids continued. He, wife Aleta, and children Maximilian and Fayette were accused of grave househelp abuse allegedly committed at their Biak-na-Bato, Quezon City residence.

In August last year, former housemaids Mary Jane Sollano, 18, and Aljane Bacanto, 19, escaped from the Tanenglian household. Bacanto was first to escape and able to alert authorities who then responded and saved Sollano in a seven-hour rescue operation. The latter subsequently filed formal charges against the family at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on August 27, 2009, the charges constituting of maltreatment, serious legal detention, slavery and frustrated homicide.  As Sollano was still a minor when she began working for the family, the DOJ-Task Force on Women and Children Protection recommended the filing of criminal charges for violating Republic Act No. 7610 (Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act), Republic Act No. 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003), and kidnapping and serious illegal detention under Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code – she had been missing for five years (5) until the rescue. In December 2009, another househelp, Gina Renacia, 33, emerged to disclose 15 years of abuse suffered in the hands of the suspects, the worst was getting burned by Mrs. Tanenglian with a hot iron on her back, landing her in the hospital.

In January 2010, Bacanto also formally filed criminal charges against the Tanenglians. According to Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuno´s resolution, there was probable cause in Bacanto´s complaint. The charges were the same as Sollano´s, including violation of R.A. 7610 (she was a 16 when she began working for them in May 2006). Bacanto generally suffered the same fate as that of Sollano and Renacia.  She alleged that she could only write letters to her family in Tacloban if Fayette dictated to her what to write. She also revealed that she was hardly given food – she sometimes did not eat real food for days and ate dog food instead – and that the refrigerators were kept padlocked. Once, the maids, including herself, managed to steal some food only to be punished and mauled severely.

Bacanto´s complaint was submitted accompanied with affidavits from representatives of police, the Commission on Human Rights, the Department Social Welfare and Development, and others who witnessed the rescue of Sollano. The DOJ found probable cause for human trafficking charges due to the slavery aspect. The kidnapping and serious detention aspects were also approved. However, the DOJ did not approve Bacanto´s charges of frustrated homicide, based on the other party´s belief that her allegations  were questionable and ¨part of a bigger picture.¨ As the Tanenglian’s lawyer, Raymund Quiroz, said, how could Bacanto be detained if she was able to go home in February 2009 in the first place?

He also mentioned a certain issue regarding somebody trying to stop his clients from testifying at the Sandiganbayan.

SOURCE: PhilStar.com (January 22, 2010)

Overqualified Women Migrants

In the Philippines, educational attainment is highly regarded. The higher level one reaches or finishes, the better chances of landing better-paying jobs. Nowadays, however, Filipino women often put aside their diplomas and become underemployed. This is especially true when they decide to work abroad regardless of over-qualification for the jobs they apply for or that are offered to them.

This is a classic case of what is termed as ´brain drain´ or ´brain waste´ in the country, as believed by the Women and Gender Institute (WAGI).

In an interview by GMANews.TV in September 2008, WAGI´s Aurora Javate De Dios said that “Women are under-qualifying themselves. The number of women migrating is increasing but the jobs placed for them are designated…There is hardly any country where women CEOs are in-demand.” De Dios presented a paper in the International Conference on Gender Migration and Development in Manila.

Women professionals under-qualify mainly because of what the actual labor market abroad demands, which is/are often not what they studied many years for. Quite saddening as according to Aiko Kikkawa of the International Organization of Migration (IOM), the Philippines, as compared to its ¨competitions¨ – India, China, Mexico – has the greatest number of migrant women than men who graduated in college. IOM data shows that there were more than 570,000 of them working abroad in “dirty, demeaning, and dangerous” low-skilled or unskilled jobs. This still worked for the women who, according to a 2007 World Bank report, regularly sent money home.

Statistically, based on the reports of the Overseas Workers´ Welfare Administration, while the number of women migrants fluctuates and declines annually, compared to several years prior to 2008, the number hitting the million-mark is still very significant.

Data aside, there is an obvious need to address the issue of underemployment and the various women employee abuse and discrimination cases which news often reach Philippine shores. De Dios stressed the need to seize more opportunities for women migrants as well as uphold their women´s and human rights, rights that they practically lose once they step on foreign soil.

Source:  GMANews.TV (09/26/2008)

Magna Carta to Protect Women

For the longest time, women who bore children out of wedlock were discriminated by the educational system, by the very institution that should teach about compassion and a sense of humanity. This was especially true if a woman happened to be a teacher. However, in 2009, her fate did a turnaround as the Magna Carta  of Women was passed. This spelled a means to end discrimination in the educational workplace.

No longer may a school refuse teachers who get pregnant without the benefit of marriage. This new policy may be found in Section 13 of Republic Act 9710 which  is the Equal Access and Elimination of Discrimination in Education, Scholarships and Training.

According to Section 13, ¨(c) Expulsion and non-readmission of women faculty due to pregnancy outside of marriage shall be outlawed. No school shall turn out or refuse admission to a female student solely on the account of her having contracted pregnancy outside of marriage during her term in school.”

Senator Pia Cayetano, president of the Committee of Women Parliamentarians of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), was the principal sponsor of RA Act 9710, the first national law addressing the human rights of women and the widespread discrimination against them based solely on gender. She stated that the pregnancy issue was a clear discrimination biased against female teachers as the rule did not apply to their male counterparts. “It’s time we rectify the wrongs committed against our women. We cannot allow the vestiges of our chauvinist past to continue to rule over us.” The law is enshrined in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

RA 9710 recognizes the right of women to health (Section 17) and its benefits and allow two-month leaves with pay for those who give birth and those who go under the knife for any gynecological disorder. The Magna Carta of Women likewise takes special consideration for cases or circumstances involving women in sports, the military, and the marginalized sectors (including victims of sexual and physical abuse, trafficking, prostitution and armed conflict, etc.), as well as girl-children and senior citizens.

SOURCE: Inquirer.net (Global Nation, 08/16/2009)

Gender Bias vs. Lesbianism in the Office

Made-up faces. Dresses, blouses and skirts to wear. Stilettos, peep-toes, flirty flats and sexy sandals for the feet. Long and straight or short and stylish hair. Kikay bags, branded lady bags…What do they remind you of? Women. Or at least, that´s the stereotypical female we have in mind. But what if it is the non-stereotypical girl standing in front of you? In fact, she does not even see herself as a girl? How would you regard her?

In the Philippines, women are lamentably less valued in the workplace. Less women have jobs; women who have jobs often earn less;  women earn less because their parents did not think much of their education before as they were going to ¨just marry and have children, anyway.¨ Statistics do show that  such thinking reflects in the way women are treated in society especially in predominantly male working environments – the less valuable, ergo, the less rights to worry about. Women are, therefore, often subjected to harassment particularly sexual, various forms of abuse and gender discrimination. When it comes to the last one, no female knows it more than the employee whose sexual orientation is decidedly gay.

¨At an early age, both girls and boys are keenly conscious of the fact that, in our society, being male means being privileged¨ (How We Raise Our Daughters and Sons: Child Rearing and Gender Socialization in the Philippines. UNICEF Evaluation and Research Database (ERD).

In the article Putting You in Your Place: Culture and the Filipino Lesbian (Isis International, Sept. 15, 2006), the above statement was quoted to emphasize it as ¨a generalisation…a simplistic look into the difference between the sexes in a society where women are limited by societal expectations. It speaks of how children observe inequality, and the preferred status that men have over women.¨

In the Filipino setting, being a lesbian could be a double whammy, based on the norms. Lesbians suffer maltreatment or discrimination because they are too homosexual for a hetero-sexist society, and they are too female to be considered equal to men in a male-centric society. When it comes to reaching expectations, they are deemed failures on both counts.

December 2004 saw the Lesbian Advocates Philippines (LeAP!), Inc. publishing its research Unmasked: Faces of Discrimination Against Lesbians in the Philippines where discrimination against lesbians was categorized as ranging from inapparent to blatant, the first being virtually unrecognizable and could be misconstrued as non-discriminatory.

Being biologically female, lesbians may also suffer the same problems or abuses as straight females, as aforementioned. Sometimes, they become the target of malicious intent simply because, according to perpetrators, they need to be ¨straightened out.¨  They are also unfairly judged as good-for-nothing. However, some take it as an opportunity to change the world´s point of view of them. They take their hardships as motivations for them to succeed and work laboriously to rise above their unpleasant reputations. ¨Deviating from traditional norms does not translate into inefficiency, unreliability, and inability to be productive members of society¨ (Putting You in Your Place…).

It is a tall order, nevertheless, especially in the workplace.

Back in September 1994, the human rights organization Balay Rehabilitation Center ironically terminated the services of Elizabeth Lim and Evangeline Castronuevo for their alleged affair, which came to the company´s attention when one of them privately confided to another employee. Four (4) weeks later, both women were dismissed for ¨Acts grossly damaging to Balay¨ or gross impropriety.

This outraged women´s and lesbian organizations (gay/lesbian activists and feminists alike) in the country, prompting protestations against the unfair and discriminatory termination, and demands that both women be re-employed, receive a full apology, and receive payment for damages. The two filed a complaint on the illegal dismissal with the National Labor Relations Commission. The case generated a lot of media attention and resulted in demands for an inclusion of issues arising from sexual orientation in the workplace.

Unfortunately, more than a decade later, much is yet to be done to rid of lesbian discrimination in the workplace. Admittedly, this cannot be solved unless society learns to respect women in general and afford them their equal rights as men´s fellow human beings.

Sources: ISIS International (www.isiswomen.org) (09/15/2006) International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (www.iglhrc.org) (12/01/1994)

Abuse of Women in Custody

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), on the average, assists daily four (4) women who complain of abuse or rape. But despite the presence of women’s help desks maintained by both the Philippine National Police (PNP) and DSWD, incidences of violence against women continue.

Rape is a very common yet serious problem. In a year alone, the PNP investigated 988 rape cases. However, among these reports were those of rape and abuse of women while in police or protective custody. Often, these women were prostitutes and lower-income individuals, women who already worked in hazardous or unhealthy conditions and workplaces.

Ironically, those who should uphold the law are sometimes the ones who perpetrate violence against women. While there have been officers who have been punished, majority escape prosecution. According to Amnesty International, there were more than 40 rape and sexual abuse cases reported from 1995 to 2002, only a small fraction of the actual number of cases that remained unreported. The Center for Women’s Resources, in a study, found that there was an average of 14 cases of rape and domestic violence that occurred daily that involved women and children.

While there is an existing law that should protect women in the work force, regardless of profession, the law is still not implemented properly or effectively. Many victims and their families cease pressing charges and give up their rights due to this. This is especially true to women in the marginalized sector.

Prostitutes, for instance, by nature of their work, are regarded to be criminals themselves and should therefore be punished. Sadly, most of them have been deceived or forced into joining the flesh trade. Prostitution, being illegal in the country, lands them in jail, where they are sometimes subjected to more indignities and even extortion. Local officials only turn their heads the other way and the anti-trafficking law is practically unimplemented, convicting only a few, if not none at all.

Other women in other professions suffer as well. Sexual harassment is a reality they face and yet, many incidences of such go underreported, especially if the employees are in the special economic zones. They refrain from pressing charges for fear of losing their bread and butter. Going after perpetrators could turn the tables against them and land them in jail as well, where their rights could be violated more.

Today, women have more rights and protection than men. That is at least the ideal scenario. But the truth is there are still more women, compared to men, who are unemployed, earn less, and face gender discrimination in and out of the workplace. This is worsened by the fact that more women get less education. Their fears of losing their jobs are therefore valid enough, if seen from their point of view.

The laws or the judicial system, while addressing the rights of women, unfortunately still lack claws in dealing with actual cases that reach the authorities, considering that the supposed perpetrators are sometimes the authorities as well. How do you punish the punisher?
Women know it and deal with it the best way they know how until such time that the law actually grows its claws.

SOURCE: Philippines Human Rights Report through NetCent Communications (http://www.ncbuy.com/reference/country/humanrights.html?code=rp&sec=5)

Tycoon’s Brother, Mariano Tanenglian, Faces Charges Against Housemaid Abuse

Perhaps one of the most controversial charges of housemaid abuse and violence against women was filed on August 27, 2009 at the Department of Justice (DOJ) against the family of Mariano Tanenglian, brother to well-known business tycoon Lucio Tan.

The complainant, Mary Jane Sollano from Zamboanga del Sur, then 18, accused the Tanenglians – Mariano, wife Aleta and children Maximilian and Fayette – of housemaid abuse or maltreatment, serious illegal detention, slavery and frustrated homicide. All these can be considered grave forms of violence against women. Sollano served as housemaid at the Tanenglian residence in Biak-na-Bato Quezon City for five years.

The family allegedly abused her physically, mentally and sexually, the abuses ranging from disallowing her and fellow housemaids from sitting, using any phone or talking to other, to refusing to let them eat and pouring boiling water on her hand as punishment for a mistake made. The charges included more forms of housemaid abuse including forced employment and blackmail as the Tanenglian women took nude photos of her and threatened to spread the said photos if she goes against their will.

On August 20, 2009, Sollano, together with another complainant, Aljane Bacanto, then 19, already filed a complaint at the Women and Children’s Concern Division (WCCD) of La Loma Station 1 accompanied by Atty. Al Parreno. (Philippine National Police (PNP) – WCCD, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Violence Against Women and Children’s Desk, and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Crisis Intervention Unit (CIU) Rehabilitation are some of the offices where one can seek help against cases of violence against women and children.)

Sollano’s ordeal ended when Bacanto was able to escape and warn the authorities. Sollano, along with other housemaids, was rescued from the Tanenglian residence on August 10, 2009 by the WCCD, Commission on Human Rights (CHR), and a group of lawyers. The negotiations lasted for seven (7) hours until Sollano and company were freed. Sollano received only a sum of P2,500 in return for her years of service.

The women were then subjected to physical, emotional and psychological examinations. According to Atty. Parreno, “Ang concern lang naming ngayon ay maging maayos ang pag-iisip ng mga bata kaya hindi muna natin pwedeng ipakausap kasi ayaw naming pabigla-bigla at sinuisiguro lang natin” (Our main concern now is to ensure that the kids are in good mental condition [prior to the investigations and hearings they have to face], thus, they may not be interviewed at this time).

As Sollano was still a minor when she began working for the family, the Department of Justice (DOJ)-Task Force on Women and Children Protection recommended the filing of criminal charges for violating Repulic Act No. 7610 (Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act), Republic Act No. 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003), and kidnapping and serious illegal detention under Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code. It was found that the girl went missing for five years and was only finally found when Bacanto revealed where she was.

Initial investigations showed that people in the community were aware of Sollano’s plight. Barangay Tanod members said that she often flashed a cardboard sign asking for help to people who happened to pass by. They said she was locked up in a room after work.

Meanwhile, the Senate was becoming more alarmed by the increasing number of housemaid abuse and violence against women and children cases in the country. The case against the Tanenglians only emphasized this growing problem and the need for an effective solution.

Then Senate Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to conduct a thorough investigation of the said case. He particularly emphasized the importance of the investigation while approval of the Kasambahay Bill or Household Bill, which he authored, was still pending in Congress. Estrada urged the Lower House to expedite the bill’s passage especially for the protection of the kasambahay or househelps. Then Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile who authored a similar bill supported this call for a thorough and just action.

Violence Against Women Cases Soar To Its Highest Level In Five Years In 2008

Renalyn Arota was just 17 years old when she filed a case against former actress Princess Revilla for child abuse and physical injury before the Justice department in 2008.

Arota started working for Revilla’s family in Oct. 2007 but she was repeatedly beaten up every time she commits a mistake.

Barred from going outside of the house, she also complained that she has not received her P2,500-monthly salary from the younger sister of Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.

The battered maid asked the Justice department for a review after the Pasig City Prosecutor’s Office dismissed her case for failure to establish sufficient evidence.

The number of violence against women reported to the police saw a five-year high in 2008, rising for the second consecutive year and posting a double-digit growth.

Data from the Philippine National Police showed cases increased by 20.53% to 6,905 from 5,729 in 2007. The last time the number of cases were more than in 2008 was in 2003 with 7,204 cases although the peak was reached at 9,132 cases in 2001.

“The trend, however, is not conclusive of a decreasing or increasing violence against women incidence in the country because data are based only from what was reported to PNP,” the National Commission on the Role of Filipino women (NCRFW) said in its annual publication.

Republic Act 9262, otherwise known as the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, provides criminal sanctions against inflicting physical harm, threats aside from deprivation of financial support, legal support, custody, legal rights among others.

In 2004, reported cases of violence against women dipped by 12.95% year-on-year to 6,271 cases.

The NCRFW, which is now known as the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), said “massive information campaign on the law and its strict implementation may have caused the increasing trend.”

The National Capital Region (NCR) had most reported cases in 2008, representing 22% with 1,541 cases. This was closely followed by Davao at 1,444 and Zamboanga Peninsula with 772 cases. With only 72 cases, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) had the least cases reported.

Cornering almost half of the cases nationwide, physical injuries and/or wife battering “remains to be the most prevalent case” from 1997 to 2008.

The agency promoting gender equality and women empowerment noted the reported incidence of physical injuries and/or wife battering has been tapering off since it reached a record high in 2001 with 5,668 cases.

“The decrease can be partly attributed to the enactment into law of RA 9262 or Anti-VAWC Act of 2004 which penalizes abusive husbands and live-in partners. Since 2004, wife battering cases have been categorized under ‘Violation of RA 9262’ that is, if the victim files a case under such law, otherwise the reported cases will fall under wife battering/physical injuries category,” the PCW said.

Based on the data provided by the PNP-Women and Children Protection Center, there were more reported rape cases in 2000 at 1,121 although it has been declining until it reached 811 cases in 2008.

Reported cases against violations against RA 9262 represented almost half of the total cases in 2008 at 3,599, the highest since its enactment in 2004.

Sexual harassment remained the least reported during 1999-2008 period. In fact, it did not even reach 1% as there were 18 reports. This fell 60.87% from 46 cases reported in 2007.

Ranking fourth, reported cases of acts of lasciviousness cornered 6.44% of the cases of violence against women in 2008, or 445. This was almost a quarter increase from 358 cases reported in 2007.

Pregnant Employees Continue To Be Discriminated

One of the most common reasons why women lose their jobs is because of unexpected pregnancy. Some companies terminate pregnant women or force them on a leave without pay. And because of ignorance about their own rights as women employees, many capitalists get their own way.

In a foreign-owned company, pregnant workers were put on a forced leave without pay from the fourth month of pregnancy.

“One of the workers had a miscarriage in the company rest room back in 1997. Since then, pregnant workers had been placed on forced leave,” said Joana, a five-year employee in the firm.

According to another employee, pregnant women were not permitted to go back on their jobs even after a year of giving birth to avoid giving maternity benefits.

“One of my co-workers who inquired at the Social Security System was told that her maternity benefits were already forwarded to the company. After three months, management was still telling her that they do not have it,” Joana said.

The same case happened to pregnant employees in Texworld Industries, a Canadian / British firm, where they were placed on a forced leave and were even prohibited go back to work even after the child delivery.

In a Korean company called SPI Phils., pregnant employees were also forced to take a leave without pay on their 7th month of pregnancy.

A different situation happened in DY Corp., a Korean manufacturer of shirts, where pregnant workers were forced to work overtime. As a result, high risks on the health of both the worker and the baby might be at peril.

Such danger happened in a Korean manufacturer of shirts called KS International. Because a pregnant woman wasn’t allowed to take a leave and was even forced to work overtime, she had a miscarriage inside the company’s comfort room.

According to the Department of Labor and Employment Primer on the Rights of Women and Workers, it is unlawful for any employer to: (1) deny any woman employee the benefits provided for by the Labor Code or to discharge any woman employed by him or her for the purpose of preventing her from enjoying any of the employee benefits; (2) discharge a woman on account of her pregnancy or while on leave or in confinement due to her pregnancy; (3) discharge or refuse the admission of such woman upon returning to her work for that she may again be pregnant.

This law was strengthened by the Magna Carta for Women which was ratified August last year. It states that all women’s rights are human rights, and these needed to be respected at work, at home, and at school.

In a section from the Magna Carta, it clearly states that “expulsion or non-readmission” of women due to pregnancy—whether married or not—shall be outlawed. The Magna Carta clearly states that it is unlawful to fire a pregnant woman or prevent her from getting maternity benefits.
Despite these laws protecting women’s welfare, it is unfortunate to admit that many still suffer from injustices and discrimination.

Sources:

“What women put up with in sweatshops.”

http://www.tucp.org.ph/news/index.php/2007/02/what-women-put-up-with-in-sweatshops/

Department of Labor and Employment. http://www.dole.gov.ph

Psychological And Physical Abuse Can Traumatize Employees

Despite women empowerment in today’s generation, reality holds the fact that several cases of physical and sexual harassments still happen in society, especially in workplace. Aside from this, women are now often experiencing psychological violence—one which causes the same and even greater trauma to the victim.

Such case happened to a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) employee when she pressed charges against her superior for psychological and sexual harassment.

Filing before the Quezon City prosectors, the complainant submitted a four-page affidavit accusing Blue Marders of verbal and sexual abuse.

A supply officer of the PDEA logistics management, the victim filed a complaint saying that Marders violated the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, claiming that she was verbally and sexually molested by her superior.

“He would often belittle me by saying, ‘Ang tanga-tanga mo talaga, para kang di ka nakapag-aral (You’re really stupid, it’s as if you did not go to school!),’” she said.

Even in front of others, her boss would still embarrass and shout at her, incidents seen and witnessed by her officemates.

“He would say bad words to me whenever I committed mistakes. The way he deals with my mistakes was unbecoming of him as he would often make me feel useless,” she said. “The verbal abuses have become habitual and our bad encounters [were] more frequent.”

The PDEA employee cited four major instances where an alleged verbal abuse took place between 2008 and 2009, causing her to be traumatized.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), psychological violence appears in different forms, some of which are bullying and ganging up or mobbing.

Bullying is defined as an “offensive behavior through vindictive, cruel, malicious or humiliating attempts to undermine an individual or groups of employees,” while ganging up or mobbing means “making negative remarks about a person or criticizing them constantly, isolating a person, and gossiping or spreading false information.”

In a study conducted by ILO, they found out that physical and psychological abuses cause instant, direct, and most of the time, long-term disruption to interpersonal relationships and the overall working environment.

Aside from the complainants’ testimony on verbal abuse, she also accused Marders of sexual harassment and said that her boss came on to her, allegedly hugged her, touched her breast, and forced her to kiss him on the lips. At one point, her superior forcibly grabbed her hand to touch his genitals.

“He would also ask for a date and tell me how he could better satisfy me compared to my boyfriend,” the complainant added.

The employee said she never had the courage to tell her grievances directly to Marders because she was intimidated, but she finally decided to file a complaint because such harassments affect the quality of her work.

“For every harassment that he makes to me, this is not a mere joke and not even a sign of endearment … I am prepared for whatever consequences.” the complaint said.

Sources:

“PDEA supply officer files sexual harassment vs male boss.”

http://services.inquirer.net/mobile/09/10/31/html_output/xmlhtml/20091030-233126-xml.html

“Violence on the Job – a Global Problem.”

http://www.ilo.org/global/About_the_ILO/Media_and_public_information/Press_releases/lang–en/WCMS_007970/index.htm

Incidence Of Violence Against Women "Alarming" Says NSCB

It took two years for a teenaged nanny to get justice after the Manila Regional Trial Court slapped rape charges against her employer.

The unnamed 15-year old nanny, who was raped several times in 2006, was four months pregnant during the initial investigation, GMANews.TV reported.

Ronnie L. Bisperas was not allowed to post bail after Assistant City Prosecutor Mary Dale Duron-Darantino found sufficient evidence to arrest him.

Unfortunately, most victims of violence against women aged 15 to 49 years old did not seek help from the police or a social service organization, data from the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) showed.

Some 45.1% of the women who experienced either physical or sexual violence turned to their own family to seek assistance while 28.5% asked help from friends and neighbors and 14.5% from in-laws.

Those who sought help from the police represented just 9.3% while 6% went to social service organization.

There were 9,316 respondents aged 15-49 who were never married, married or living together, and divorced/separated/widowed.

Majority of those who experience either physical or sexual violence fought back verbally at 26.9% while 21.2% fought back physically and 17.5% asked assistance to stop violence.

The National Statistics Office’s (NSO) included the Women’s Safety Module, which looks into women’s experiences of violence, for the first time.

Dr. Romulo A. Virola, National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Secretary General, said the 2008 NDHS reported an “alarming incidence” of 20.1% of women aged 15-49 who have ever experienced physical violence since age 15.

“Obviously, much remains to be done to count and end violence against women. Our Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) cannot do it alone. Our Philippine National Police, the Department of Social Work and Development and other similar institutions have roles to play in meeting the many difficult challenges. For sure, our VAW victims need even stronger support from existing support systems like the family, friends, neighbors, the church, the community,” he said.

Those who never married had the lowest incidence of physical violence at 11.3% followed by those who are currently married or living together with a partner at 22.3%.

However, those who are divorced/separated/widowed had the highest incidence at 36.5%.

“With such high incidence of violence against women, we no longer wonder why many friends would rather be single than be married or live with a man,” he said.

The trend follows in sexual violence where those who never married had the lowest incidence at 4.3%, followed by those who are married or living together at 9.6%. Those who are divorced/separated/widowed had most incidence of sexual violence at 19.7%.

Virola noted almost four out of 100 pregnant women experience physical violence at 3.6%.
“Obviously, this does not only put the mother at risk, but also the unborn child,” he said.

For “ever-married women” such as those who are married/living together or divorced/separated/widowed, the husband is the perpetrator of physical violence at 54.7%.

Sadly, the husband or the partner is the person behind sexual violence at 60.5%.
“It is also very alarming to know that women are not safe even in their own homes,” he said.

Republic Act 9262, otherwise known as the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, defines violence against women and their children as a public crime although it is not limited to physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and economic abuse.

The PCW was formerly known as the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women established through Presidential Decree No. 633 on January 7, 1975 as an advisory body for the advancement of women.

Source:

“Father charged for raping nanny in manila.”

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/79186/father-charged-for-raping-nanny-in-manila