GADCC Sets Up Measures To Fight Violence vs Women

In line with the 18-day campaign to end violence against women, members of Gender and Development Coordinating Council (GADCC) from the government line agencies convened recently to address the issues and concerns raised during the previous meetings.

Being the GADCC Chairperson and Regional Director of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR)-Caraga, Atty. Marylin Pintor bared the issues and concerns that need GADCC's action and one of these is the advocacy campaign to lodging houses/motel owners to prevent crime against women.

"Advocacy to lodging house/motel owners to prevent crime against women; lobby for the hiring/filling up of prosecutors and judges positions in Caraga Region; discussion on the Badjao and street kids in the region; and complaints on lewd radio programs are the matters that need GADCC action," Dir. Pintor said.

According to Dir. Pintor, during the recently held press conference on the 18-day campaign to end violence, an issue was raised regarding rape cases and child exploitation, and one of the factors that these crimes happen is that motels and lodging houses allow adults who bring minors (mostly of the opposite sex) into their establishments.

GAD Focal Person of PNP-Caraga PSUPT Cristita dela Cruz said that in order to prevent violence inside the motels and lodging houses, the management and staff of all motels and lodging houses will have to undergo trainings pertaining to Republic Act 7610 (Child Abuse) to be conducted by GADCC. Resistance to participate in the trainings will not be granted or will be confiscated with business license by the local government.

Also, on the issue of hiring of prosecutors and judges' positions in Caraga, Atty. Pintor said that whoever would want to apply are welcome and added that GADCC would be glad to have one in the region.

Meanwhile, with regards to the Badjao and street kids in Caraga, Jbionne Pagalan of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga stresses that the public should be informed not to tolerate these kids who are roaming around the streets begging alms.

"By giving a small amount of money to the street kids especially the Badjaos do not help them improve but rather make them more dependent on the act of doing so for easy money, to the extent of refusing to the livelihood programs provided by the government," Pagalan said.

The last issue discussed is concerning the complaints on lewd radio programs where GADCC was able to identify one radio program (talk show) on a certain FM radio station. According to Atty. Pintor, GADCC members will call for a meeting with the presence of the host/ disk jockey of the said FM station together with the FM station Manager to address the issue and give remedy to the problem.

With these plans that are already set, GADCC members believe that working hand in hand would truly end violence against women and their children.