MONITORING COMPLIANCE TO THE MAGNA CARTA OF WOMEN
REGION V
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From 2015 to 2016, the WCPDs investigated 11 cases of gender-based violence involving
PNP personnel. Majority of the cases were violations of the Anti-VAWC law. Six of these
cases are already filed in court, while one was amicably settled.
At the community level, barriers to women’s access to justice in cases of VAWC include
insensitvity of service providers to women’s gendered realities, and limited resources
facilities and capabilities of barangays.
The Albay and Camarines Norte Provincial WCPDs, completed a total of 13 training days
in 2016 on topics such as sexual harassment, stress debriefing, gender sensitivity, and men
opposed to violence.
REGION VII
Economic abuse was most prevalent form of VAW received by the CHR Regional Office in
2016. The intervention sought was often legal assistance; one case was recommended to be
filed in court. The Regional Office also received six complaints involving violence against
LGBTIs. Three (3) of the cases involved the killing of the LGBTI persons, while one is a
case of bullying on the basis of SOGIE.
Violations of the Anti-VAWC law comprise 89.89 percent of cases involving GBV brought
to the PNP Regonal Office in 2016. In terms of capability building to address these cases,
the PRO-VII and the Siquijor Provincial Police Office conducted trainings for its personnel
on VAW interventions. The PRO-VII also organized an orientation on SOGIE rights and
other specialized courses for its WCPD staff.
According to the DILG-VII report, all its 3,033 barangays have anti-VAWC desks, except
one barangay in Mandaue. However, the CHR monitoring revealed discrepancies between
the report and reality. For instance, there were six barangays in Dumaguete which have no
Anti-VAWC desks. Later, the Regional Office found-out that the figures in the DILG-VII
report were based on the submitted barangay resolutions establishing the desks. Whether
these resolutions were implemented is another matter.
Also in Dumaguete, only 2 out of 30 barangays complied with the standards of having a
separate interview room for VAWC cases and separate storage for VAWC case files. Other
challenges to operationalizing the Anti-VAWC desks noted in the monitoring visits include
non-uniformity of procedures applied to handling VAWC cases within the barangay, lack
of staff capability building, and difficulties in enforcing the barangay protection orders
(e.g., the perpetrator does not rcognize the BPO issued against him). Despite these, the
Anti-VAWC desk officers report that they are able to carry out their tasks.