60 Addressing Inequality During the Pandemic University High School (FEUHS) ensured that identities of all parties involved shall be kept strictly confidential, and that this issue is taken very seriously.212 239 Army personnel AAA filed a rape complaint against Major BBB, who allegedly abused his authority and took advantage of AAA’s vulnerability when he sexually abused her sometime in February 2019 inside the battalion. 240 In March 2019, AAA was dismissed from service after being involved in a theft incident. Major BBB was then leading the investigation in relation thereto. AAA insisted that although she already completed the imposed hard labor punishment and after settlement with the complainant, she was purposely and intentionally dismissed by Major BBB after learning that she will be filing a rape complaint with the Provost Marshal. 241 Before filing this present complaint in the CHR Regional Office XI, AAA filed a complaint before the Provost Marshal; however, the same was dismissed for lack of evidence. AAA averred that she was not provided with the ample legal assistance and had not talked to a lawyer when she filed the same with the Provost Marshal. This case is now pending investigation.213 242 Records of the WCPD-PROI in Region I shows that there is a decrease in the number of reported GBV cases. The problem lies with the fact that since there are barriers and mobility constraints during the lockdown, there is a possibility that some of the victims failed to report, thus the decrease. 243 The decrease in the reported cases on violence against women may be due to the fact that during this period, some parts of the region 2 had been placed either in ECQ or MECQ status from January to June. Travel restrictions and lack of transportation available may have prevented clients from going to the office to report their cases more readily.214 244 Domestic violence still exists until the time being and even during the pandemic. This may have been aggravated by reasons such as women’s dependency on their partners for financial support due to lack of livelihood or insufficient means of support and stigma that may be brought about by the idea of a broken family. The COVID-19 pandemic even posed greater threat and problem to this issue. The restriction in movement during the time of quarantine not only limited their means to look for livelihood, but forced them to stay with their abusive partners as well. 215 245 In cases of economic abuse in relation to support, the majority of the women only sought for redress such that they and their children would be provided with a reasonable amount of financial support for their sustenance. As such, resorts were made to amicably settle the matter and for the execution of memorandum of support. Thereafter, complainants will in due course submit their desistance. Nonetheless, in some cases, the parties obliged to support, notwithstanding the said memorandum, still failed to comply; as such prompting the women to return to the CHR Regional Office IX and refile the case. To make things more difficult, in some of these cases, when forwarded to the proper forum, the same were 212 CNN Philippines Staff (2021). FEU high school urges members to report sexual abuse incidents after social media outcry. Retrieved from https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/4/19/FEU-sexual-abuse-allegations.html 213 Commission on Human Rights Regional Office 11. (2021, January). Regional Human Rights Situation Report 214 Commission on Human Rights Regional Office II. (2021, August). Human Rights Situationer Report January to June 2021. 215 Commission on Human Rights Regional Office IX. (2021, July). 2021 CHR 9 Human Rights Situation Report.

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