PNP alarmed over increasing cases of domestic violence

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has expressed alarm over the increasing number of cases of domestic violence and other forms of abuse of women and children in the country.

Chief Superintendent Yolanda Tanigue, director of the PNP’s Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC), said the PNP is doing everything to help victims of abuse as provided for by Republic Act 9262.

Tanigue, the only policewoman in the PNP with a star-rank, said they have been reaching out to women and children who were victims of domestic violence.

RA 9262, known as the “Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004” is an act defining violence against women and their children that provides protective measures for victims and prescribes corresponding penalties.

“For us to address sexual abuse is to address domestic violence. And very interestingly, based on PNP statistics, there are very common parallelisms between the abuse of women and children,” Tanigue noted. “Most of the time when a child is abused, you know that the woman or mother is also abused. We need to end domestic violence.”

Tanigue said domestic violence usually affects the self-esteem of the victim, who feels betrayed and always lives in fear.

She noted that police recorded a total of 7,864 cases of violence against women in 2008, higher than the 6,647 incidents in 2007. The violence ranges from rape, incestuous rape, sexual harassment, abandonment, homicide, slander, parricide, threats, seduction, concubinage and others.

There were 5,889 cases in 2006; 6,505 in 2005; 7,601 in 2004 and 8,011 in 2003.

On the annual comparative statistic on violence against children, the PNP recorded a total of 8,588 cases in 2008, higher than the number of incidents in 2007 with 6,688.

The incidents included rape, incestuous rape, acts of lasciviousness, child trafficking, child labor, child prostitution, inducing minor to abandon home, seduction, abortion, and others.

In 2006, there were 4,506 cases; 5,406 in 2005; 7,557 in 2004 and 7,300 in 2003.

“Sometimes we don’t recognize the child as having feelings. We decide a lot of things for our children but actually they want to say something. So it’s very, very important for society to change its perspective that women is the weaker sex,” Tanigue said.

She said the establishment of the Police Women’s Desk is a step towards addressing the problem and giving assistance to victims of domestic violence.–Cecille Suerte Felipe, Philippine Star