VAWC cases up, 1,422 recorded

1,422 recorded for January-August 2013 is just a few cases from last year’s total of 1,597

DESPITE the country’s law that ought to protect women and their children, the number of women and children abused in physical, psychological or sexual manners, remains to be unsettled.

Senior Inspector Arcely L. Yaun, chief of the Women and Children’s Protection Desk of the Davao City Police Office (WCPD–DCPO), told Sun. Star Davao that many women are still suffering from various kinds of violence by their partners.

Records from the Women and Children’s Protection Desk showed that there were about 1,422 women including some of their children have been harmed by their partners from January to August this year, which is already close to last year’s total of 1,597.

Yaun said maltreat--

ment in physical -- battering and slapping wives, or oral defamation, threat, and sexual harassment, are the common complaint reported to their office or to other police stations here.

Yaun said most of these numbers of cases were filed in court but she is not sure, if the accused were convicted, as majority of the complainants preferred to resolve the problem through legal counseling or barangay level intervention course.

“There are still cases filed in court in relation to Republic Act (R.A.) 9262, or the Anti-Violence against Women and their Children but mangilanngilan lang. Most of the reasons, either gastos or they love their partners na di nila kaya mag file ng charges,” Yaun said.

“Actually, it depends to the complainant. Example, pag tinatanong namin if they’re willing to file charges against their partners, madalas ang sagot ayaw na nila paabutin sa korte, hoping na ma-settle yung issue with the lawyer or barangay official’s advise,” she added.

Yaun said some women preferred not to file charges against their partners because they don’t want their children to get hurt or even bullied outside by their classmates or friends.

The law details the acts which constitute the crime of violence against women and children (VAWC) and its corresponding penalties. Imprisonment of the offender can range from one month and one day to life, while fines can range from Philippine Peso 100,000 to 300,000. ICT

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