CALAMBA CITY,
Laguna (PIA) – Should
men be relied upon to
support movements
that would end violence
against women and other forms of domestic violence?
The Philippine
Commission on Women (PCW) organized the
Men Opposed to Violence
Against Women Everywhere (MOVE) in 2006 to
involve men, considered
at the heart of domestic violence, in ending
gender-based violence
against women and children.
Social Welfare
Officer Ricky Bunao of
the Department of Social
Welfare and Development
(DSWD) in Calabarzon
agrees that men should
be engaged in civil and
community-based movements addressing violence against women and
children (VAWC).
“Most of our programs are victim-focused,
but we can also come up
with interventions that focus on the offenders and
perpetrators,” Bunao said
during the Calabarzon Regional Peace and Order
Council (RPOC) meeting
on September 15 where
the reported gender-based
crimes in the region was
discussed.
He added: “In
fact, we had a lecture on
how men can be engaged
to provide solutions so
they [women, children,
and Persons With Disabilities] would be free from
violence.”
Since 2006,
MOVE has grown to an
organization of men who
committed themselves to
actively promote the elimination of VAW. It includes
men from different sectors
including the government,
private sector, academe,
and non-government organizations.
Local MOVE
groups have been established in Aklan, Sultan
Kudarat, Northern Samar,
Southern Leyte, and Quezon Province, while national government agencies (NGAs) such as the
National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) and
the DSWD have also established their own MOVE
groups.
In Calabarzon, a
Quezon province MOVE
chapter was organized
while the Regional Development Council (RDC)
led by Batangas Governor
Hermilando Mandanas
also adopted MOVE in the
local government units,
national agencies, and
other institutions.
Bunao said Mandanas signed a resolution
adopting MOVE in Calabarzon.
“If we can replicate that in Calabarzon,
then we can help each
other to address [VAWC].
And if the barangays are
engaged in this, VAWC
can be prevented in the
barangays and need not
be elevated to the DSWD,”
he added.
In the same
RPOC meeting, the Philippine National Police
(PNP) reported that
gender-based violence
has become one of the
most prevalent crimes in
Calabarzon, second to
theft during the first eight
months of 2023. However,
PNP Calabarzon reported
a downward trend in reported rape cases, from
908 in 2022 to 794 this
year. Theft remains the
most prevalent crime in
the region, with 1,199 reported cases from January
to August 2023.
In Carmona,
Cavite, police chief Lt.
Col. Jefferson Ison mentioned that schools have
welcomed the presence
of uniformed personnel to
protect children from sexual abuse.
“I think Carmona
is one of the contributors
in the recorded data of
rape cases in Calabarzon.
On August 12 alone, we
recorded six rape cases.
This is only a backlog from
the pandemic because
these were reported late.
During our school visitations, more have come forward to report their cases,”
Ison said.
While their campaign may not necessarily reduce the incidents of
rape in the city, Ison said
that the increased police
presence will encourage
residents to report cases.
“(Beyond) decreasing the number of
rape cases, (this) will stop
the agony of the victims,”
Ison added.
Meanwhile, Binangonan Mayor Cesar
Ynares acknowledged the
prevalence of rape culture, especially on social
media, which influences
teenagers negatively and
disregards women’s rights
and safety“These contents
can influence our teenagers, and we can do nothing to censor them. Even
a five-year old child can
watch these videos because they automatically
appear [on social media],
and it can negatively influence the youth,” Ynares
said.
To further address cybercrimes related
to gender-based violence,
the PNP Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU
4A) has started training
personnel who will specialize in investigating
cybercrimes. Each police station in Calabarzon
will have two designated
investigators for cybercrime-related incidents, including cybersex and child
pornography.
