WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016
Anti-trafficking council urges women, children to report rights violation
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – With the 383 cases that requested for police assistance pertaining to Violence Against Women and Their Children (VAWC) in the first quarter for this year, the Regional Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (RIACATVAWC) in northern Mindanao still encourages women and children to report crimes against them as the reported cases is just a fraction of a greater number of VAWC incidences in the region.
PCI Gwendolyn Cinco of the Philippine National Police-Police Regional Office 10 (PNP-PRO 10) said that of the total cases, there were 14 filed cases that involved crime against children and 23 involved violence against women. With these reported cases, Cinco shared that 156 police stations continuously conduct weekly seminar/ training/workshop to Women and Children’s Protection Desks (WCPD) personnel for skills enhancement especially to handling cases that involve new or amended law pertaining to women and children. Furthermore, lawyer Ruby Malanog of the Department of Justice10 (DOJ) said that to encourage more women and children to report any incident where their rights are violated, it is necessary to have all the local VAWC desks functional and that the Department of Health (DOH) should ensure the presence of psychologists in hospitals who will not only help in giving justice to victim-survivors but will also aid in the latter’s full recovery. Based on the Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, VAWC refers to any act or a series of acts committed by any person against a women who is his wife, former wife or against a woman with whom the person has or had a sexual or dating relationship, or with whom he has a common child, or against her child whether legitimate or illegitimate,
within or without the family abode, which result in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological harm or suffering, or economic abuse including threats of such acts, battery, assault, coercion, harassment or arbitrary deprivation of liberty. Thus, the council urges women and their children who are victims of physical, sexual and psychological violence, and economic abuse to go to the nearest VAWC protection desks, usually situated in barangay halls, police stations or social welfare and development offices for assistance. Currently, the RIACAT-VAWC 10 works on including men or boys in VAWC advocacy since most of the time the perpetrators are men aside from conducting symposium to schools, universities and other public areas. (RTP/PIA10)
Lanao del Sur Health Office warns public to guard against dengue MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur – The Provincial Health Office (PHO) is warning the public to take precautions against dengue fever as the province heads into the rainy season when the risk of contracting mosquito-borne disease is high. We should always observe preventive measures to stop mosquitoes from breeding, said Dr. Ali S. Descallar, senior medical consultant of the PHO during the Ozor ka, Ranao! radio program of the Philippine Information Agency. allar advised residents of the province to keep their surroundings clean including canals and other areas where there is stagnant water which might be used as breeding sites by dengue-carrying mosquitoes. He said gutters, old tires, flower vases and pots, and other containers that can hold water should also be cleaned regularly to get rid of stagnant water. Water drums and pails should be covered all the time and household waste materials be disposed properly, he further said. Dengue is a tropical viral infection transmitted by the bite of an infected female Aedes mosquito. Symptoms include high fever for two to seven days, severe headache, muscle and joint pain, pain behind the eyes, and skin rashes.
In some cases, the patient may suffer from nausea, vomiting and bleeding. Since there is no specific antibiotic or medication for dengue fever, Descallar said early clinical diagnosis and prompt treatment is very important to save lives. He urged patients to seek medical advice in case symptoms of the disease developed Lanao del Sur has already recorded 166 dengue cases for the period January to June 15, this year. Descallar said the data were gathered from the five district hospitals in the province located in the towns of Binidayan, Balindong, Tamparan, Malabang and Wao. Other measures shared by Descallar to avoid dengue include the use of personal household protection such insect repellant, insecticides, screening of windows and doors, and wearing of long-sleeved clothes. (APB/PIA-10)
Army, PNP exhume pregnant mother corpse, 2 other bodies of Lumad family MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon – Joint elements of the Army’s 8th Infantry Battalion, Philippine National Police in Bukidnon, Agusan, and Public Safety officers exhumed three bodies of “Lumad (Indigenous People)” discovered 56 kilometers east of Malaybalay City. Lt Col Lennon G Babilonia, 8th Infantry Battalion commander said the three bodies of a Lumad family, including a pregnant mother, were buried by the New People’s Army (NPA) at the site where the family was ambushed by said NPAs. The 10 year-old boy who survived the ambush recounted that while he and his family were on their way to Agusan del Sur, the armed group believed to be NPAs, ambushed them in broad daylight of June 5 near Tagikan River, San Luis, Agusan del Sur. The boy said that his pregnant mother, his father, uncle, two brothers, and his sister were among those he believed were already killed by the NPAs as he saw with his own
Central Bukidnon Sub-regional Command, in a media statement, admitted the murder of Bocalas family because of the crimes they allegedly committed against the people. In a statement, Babilonia condemns the killing. He said this is a serious violation of human rights. “This is plain and simple murder of helpless parents and kids trying to live a normal life as Lumads. The NPAs killed a pregnant mother, two family members, and three other children—who, the relatives have presumed dead and buried somewhere else— just because of their accusations of having committed crimes against the people. That is ridiculous! Those few people who are still blindly supporting the NPA should rethink if
eyes the merciless firing of weapons towards them before his escape. This led the army and the police to join efforts in the investigation in order to recover the bodies of the victims buried some 56 kilometers east of Malaybalay City. Discovered in the site was a grave where the three bodies of Bocalas family were buried together, including the pregnant mother. All were found riddled with bullets and already decomposing. On June 8, 2016, the NPA South
they are aiding a revolutionary group or a criminal group,” he said. He also commended the PNP and military forces who hiked the mountains for the two-day search and recovery effort in order to give the victims a decent traditional burial and peace of mind for the relatives who offered tribal ritual and prayers at the grave site. (Erwin P. Bugarin, CMO, 8IB, PA)