PHOTO from Office of Senator Risa Hontiveros
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday revealed her office’s possible partnership with ride-hailing company Grab Philippines in line with her advocacy for safe streets and public safety.
Hontiveros, chair of the Senate committee on women, said that her office has sought Grab’s support on her initiatives against harassment especially since the transport firm has launched new safety measures for its drivers and passengers.
READ: Grab unveils security features for drivers and passengers
Hontiveros principally authored and sponsored Senate Bill No. 1326 or the “Safe Streets and Public Spaces Act” that was recently passed on third and final reading in the Senate.
“Let me emphasize that this protection extends to both passengers and drivers, particularly women drivers. In our consultations with Grab, we found out that there have been cases when drivers have also been the targets of abuse, and this measure is there to protect them, too,” she said in a statement.
“The basic principle is ‘no means no’. When a person isn’t comfortable with language or gestures or actions that make them feel harassed, harassers should be called out and punished appropriately,” she explained.
PHOTO from Office of Senator Risa Hontiveros
Hontiveros also cited a recent survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) that showed that 88 percent of women aged 18 to 24 years old experienced sexual harassment on the streets.
The senator then expressed confidence that Grab would accept the partnership in order to help her raise awareness on safety.
On Monday, Grab launched four major safety features as it vowed to improve the safety of its passengers and drivers. /kga