SPARK, EIE and alleged victims of sexual abuse face the media the Liwasang Diokno, Commission on Human Rights, Quezon City to outline demands to fight sexual predators in schools. (Jean Mangaluz/INQUIRER.net)
MANILA, Philippines – Groups promoting safe spaces launched a campaign Thursday to rid campuses of sexual abuse as they demanded tougher government action against sexual predators.
The groups led by Enough is Enough (EIE) and the Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK) were joined in a media conference in Quezon City by some victims of alleged sexual abuse in schools, including some from the Bacoor National High School (BNHS) in Cavite.
The victims recounted their experiences of abuse as the groups outlined key demands and recommendations for the government to adopt against sexual abuse.
The groups recommended that the government file criminal and administrative charges against sexual predators in schools and their enablers, revoke the professional licenses of sexual predators, blacklist sexual predators from employment that involves vulnerable sectors of the population, and create a national database of sex offenders.
Sophia Beatriz Reyes, EIE lead convener said the problem of sexual abuse in schools is institutional, explaining that there is a lack of support for students who want to file cases.
“Yung problema is nasa sistema, nasa mismong polisiya, na kung hindi man kulang, mas naka-center sa pagprotekta ng authorities, kaysa sa estudyante,” said Reyes.
(The problem is within the system, in the policies themselves. If they are not lacking, it is more focused on protecting the authorities, rather than the student).
On Thursday, the Department of Education said that five out of the seven BNHS teachers that the agency have investigated are now face administrative charges over the alleged sexual abuse of their students.
READ: DepEd: 5 Cavite school teachers face admin charges for alleged sexual abuse
While welcoming the DepEd’s efforts, EIE is urging the Education department to create communication lines where students who experience sexual abuse can contact the needed authorities directly.
“If pursued, the DepEd hotline is the good first step to address the menace haunting our schools. But there is much more that needs to be reformed and innovated in order to make the youth protected and empowered,” said EIE in a statement.
EIE added that it is hoping that the DepEd train professionals to handle student complaints, and “not enablers of predators that will gaslight the victims and exacerbate their trauma.”
Mewanwhile, the groups and the victims of alleged sexual abuse in schools are preparing to arrange a dialogue with Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio about the cases of campus sexual harassment cases that have recently surfaced. The Vice President also serves as Education Secretary.
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Jean Mangaluz, INQUIRER.net