It takes a village VAW desk: Her days of abuse can stop here

(First of two parts)

Having spoken with many women so traumatized by domestic abuse that they can’t bear telling their story more than once, Helma Hidalgo counts the voice recorder as one of the essential tools of her work.

The 58-year-old Hidalgo has been serving on the violence against women (VAW) desk of Barangay Baesa, Quezon City, for over three years. Often, hers is the first face of kindness that victims in her community see when they finally make the life-changing decision to seek help.

“We’re required to have a recording because there are victims who had traumatic experiences”—and were too wounded inside—that recalling them again to the police could feel like a fresh ordeal in itself, Hidalgo told the Inquirer in an interview early this month.

It is important for these women to feel safe and secure from any threat when finally verbalizing the hurt, she said. A private “intake room” is thus reserved for them inside the barangay hall.

“There’s a separate room for abuse victims because sometimes you won’t be able to talk to them right away. I had one case who was very frail when she arrived so I let her rest first and relax,” Hidalgo recalled.

What does she want?

As a barangay staff worker, Hidalgo has seen the many forms of torment that a male partner can inflict—physical, psychological, emotional, economic, sexual.

When a victim arrives at her desk, a general principle is applied: “I assist her and ask what she needs and what she wants to happen. If the client wants her partner to go to jail, I won’t let the two parties reconcile; whatever the victim wants, that is what we’ll follow.”

In cases of physical assault, especially when the woman had been hit and injured in the face, she would be assisted going to the hospital for medical attention. If she wants to file a case in court, the next stop is at the nearest police station for the initiation of inquest proceedings against the abuser.

Among the local governments making up the National Capital Region, Quezon City has recorded the most number of VAW incidents with a total of 2,668 reports from 2019 to 2023, based on data from the Philippine National Police. It was followed by Manila with a total of 1,392 incidents.

In Baesa which has a population of around 58,000, Hidalgo attends to a minimum of one case per day and around 15 to 20 monthly.

In her earlier days of service, she recalled, some victims were hesitant to report their experience or file formal complaints simply because they didn’t have the money to see a doctor or even photocopy the documents needed in court.

Under the current city administration, medical assistance for VAW victims is free of charge at the Quezon City General Hospital, she said.

As part of its own initiative, Barangay Baesa invested in a printer for VAW case documentations, which would usually cost the complainant P400 to P500 if left unassisted.

Protection order

In one of its strongest interventions, the barangay government may also issue a 15-day “protection order” in cases where the victim continues to feel threatened and wants her partner or husband out of the house.

The barangay draws this authority, almost akin to a summary eviction, from Section 14 of the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004.

The battered wife or partner just needs to say the word. “If she says ‘I don’t want it anymore, I want to be separated from him,’ we issue a protection order.”

He cannot stay in or go near the house—or call the partner or their children—during the 15-day period. According to the Philippine Commission on Women, the victim can extend it by applying for a 30-day temporary protection order in court.

Being a VAW desk officer means accommodating abuse victims from all walks of life and looking not only after their medical needs and legal options, but also their equally long path to healing.

“We also refer them to lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office if the victim wants to file a case, and if they experienced psychological and emotional abuse, we help make referrals to the National Center for Mental Health,” Hidalgo said.

Front-line service

For her work, she receives a monthly honorarium of around P12,000. Hidalgo considers herself lucky because her barangay is relatively better funded compared to many others.

“[Our job] is quite difficult because we have to put ourselves in the victim’s shoes, making sure that we understand them and that whatever we heard from them, it stays within the four corners of this room,” she said.

For women whose trauma easily shows, “you can’t leave them behind; you need to have a strong heart.”

Under the Magna Carta of Women, or Republic Act No. 9710, every barangay should have VAW desk set up as a “front-line service provider.” The desk is usually managed by an officer designated by the village chair.

Dennis Villaseñor, director of the National Barangay Operations Office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, underscored the critical role played by VAW desk officers.

“The people experience the government through the barangay first. So it’s good to have people who understand your situation and that are very willing to support you in tragic times,” Villaseñor said.

‘A lot of difference’

While the PNP data showed a downtrend in the number of VAW cases over the years, Villaseñor said there might still be an underreporting due to the nature of the crime.

At the very minimum, such source of redress at the community level—one that assures confidentiality, immediate protection, cost alleviation and a compassionate handling of pain as exemplified by Hidalgo’s approach—“makes a lot of difference,” he added.

READ: Mothers can be offenders under VAWC law to protect their children – SC

“We don’t expect them to give advice [to the victims] or provide psychosocial intervention but only to refer them, connect them to our other duty bearers at the city or municipality. Especially when a crime has been committed, we should be taking care of the victim-survivor,” Villaseñor said.

But what happens if the barangay, particularly those with smaller populations and meager resources, has no VAW desk set up or any designated personnel for such concerns?

(To be continued)

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TAGS: Baesa, violence against women