MANILA, Philippines — Authorities continue to monitor and prevent violence against women and children (VAWC) even if Metro Manila is currently under a strict lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine National Police (PNP) assured the public.
PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said on Monday that both the Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC) and the Anti-CyberCrime Group (ACG) were directed to place measures to avoid VAWC incidents now that Metro Manila is on enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) status.
According to Eleazar, concerned parties can air their complaints and request help through the online mechanisms installed by PNP, like the E-Sumbong system — since police officers cannot access the area where such crimes happen.
“Medyo kumplikado ang isyu ng domestic violence dahil nangyayari ito sa loob ng tahanan kung saan off-limits na ang inyong kapulisan,” Eleazar said in a statement.
(The issue of domestic violence is somewhat complicated because this happens inside the homes, where police officers are off-limits to.)
“Kaya gumawa tayo ng mga paraan para matugunan ito kabilang ang ating E-SUMBONG kung saan mas pinadali natin ang paghingi ng tulong at pagrereklamo ng ating mga kababayan dahil mismong Facebook platform ay magagamit para sa police intervention,” he added.
(That’s why we created measures to address these concerns, like our E-Sumbong system which eased the process of asking for police assistance and for filing complaints for fellow Filipinos, because even the Facebook platform itself can be used for police intervention.)
The PNP head also said that officers are monitoring social media accounts for any sign of domestic abuse that either abusers or victims would post.
“Kaya hinihikayat natin ang ating mga kababayan na pagkatiwalaan ang inyong PNP sa isyung ito. Alalahanin natin na walang mang-aabuso, kung walang magpapa-abuso,” he added.
(That’s why we are also encouraging Filipinos to trust the PNP in this issue. Let us remember that there are no abusers if people would not allow themselves to be abused.)
As early as the first lockdown in the country which covered the entire Luzon and other areas, several women and children’s rights advocates have warned about the possibility of domestic abuse cases rising dramatically as victims have no choice but to spend more time with their abusers due to stay-at-home policies.
In April 2020, Senator Risa Hontiveros expressed fears about a surge in such cases with families staying at home as part of the health protocols against COVID-19.
PNP and other agencies have indeed reported a rise in domestic abuse incidents, with President Rodrigo Duterte saying in his official report that over 3,600 VAWC cases were recorded between mid-March 2020 and June 2020.
Last Friday, Metro Manila went under ECQ status due to the threat of the dreaded COVID-19 Delta variant, which is said to be 60 percent more transmissible than the already infectious Alpha variant.
This will be the third time that Metro Manila is under ECQ after the Luzon-wide lockdown in March 2020 — first in August 2020, second during the Alpha variant-led surge last March 2021, and then this latest ECQ declaration.
While Eleazar assured that VAWC incidents would be probed thoroughly, he also urged victims to file complaints, saying that abuse would not stop if it is tolerated.
“Kailangang matutukan at masusing maimbestigahan ang bawat reklamo hinggil sa VAWC,” Eleazar said.
(Each complaint concerning VAWC should be monitored and thoroughly investigated.)
“Hinihimok ko din ang publiko na huwag matakot dumulog sa awtoridad kung sila ay biktima o kaya ay may alam na insidente ng pangaabuso. Kailangan nating magtulungan upang mapigil natin ang mga violence and other forms or abuses sa loob ng tahanan lalo na sa panahon ng ECQ,” he added.
(I am also pleading to the public to not be afraid to ask for assistance if they are victims, or if they know someone who is a victim of abuse. We need to help each other to stop these violence and other forms of abuse inside households, especially now that we are under an ECQ.)