DILG, PNP nationwide have thousands of women protection desks

THE Magna Carta of Women (MCW) seeks to give protection to women from all forms of violence, including those committed by the State.

The MCW commands local government units to establish a Violence Against Women Desk in every barangay to address cases of violence against women.

MCW also wants the incremental increase in the recruitment and training of women in government services that cater to women victims of gender-related offenses. It also ensures mandatory training on human rights and gender sensitivity to all government personnel involved in the protection and defense of women against gender-based violence.

All of this falls on the shoulders of Secretary Ronaldo Puno of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Is he up to these responsibilities? Will the DILG be able to get the local governments barangays especially to do their duties and responsibilities to women, which many of them have not been doing even if these are already spelled out in other laws?

Perhaps he can.

In fact, even before the enactment of MCW on August 14, Secretary Puno had called on local chief executives to support the DILGs training initiatives on the barangay human rights program, which seeks to empower vulnerable sectors like women and children in pursuing justice through heightened awareness about their basic rights and the countrys judicial system.

In a memorandum circular, Puno said that the training also aims to enhance the proficiency of barangay officials particularly the member of the Lupon Tagapamayapa in performing their mandated tasks and responsibilities towards good local governance.

The training on human rights at the barangay level, Puno noted, is being conducted to ensure the smooth implementation of the Departments Local Government Human Rights Program, which is designed to ensure the accountability of local authorities in the protection and promotion of human rights in their respective localities.

The Local Government Human Rights Program is a flagship initiative of the DILG under Punos watch.

Puno said the Departments training arm, the Local Government Academy, and the various DILG regional offices will conduct the training with the central theme The Barangay Human Rights Program: Accessing Justice through Gender-Responsive and Child-Friendly Barangay Justice System in the countrys capital towns and cities.

The training is designed to provide necessary tools and practices in the administration of the Barangay Justice System to enable the poor, particularly women and children, to pursue justice through increased knowledge about basic rights and the judicial system, Puno said in his circular.

To carry out this initiative, Puno said teams of DILG trainers have been organized in all capital towns and cities in every region to spearhead the training, which will be conducted in partnership with other stakeholders in the locality.

The DILG, in Punos watch, also ordered the establishment of Women and Children Protection Desks (WCPDs) in every Philippine National Police (PNP) municipal station in the country to help victims of exploitation and abuse, particularly children and women, seek help from authorities.

Undersecretary Puno, who heads the National Police Commission (Napolcom), which supervises the PNP, the PNP established Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC) in Camp Crame.

On instructions of President Gloria Arroyo, and Secretary Puno, the new police unit was built by then-PNP chief (now Peace Process Adviser) Avelino Razon Jr. out of the deactivated Women and Children Concerns Division of the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management and the PNP Womens Crisis and Child Protection Center.

Chief Supt. Yolanda Tanigue was appointed to head the WCPC. Police Director Tanigue became the first female police officer of the PNP to be promoted to star rank.

There are now 1,830 WCPDs in police stations nationwide.

The training on human rights at the barangay level, Puno noted, is being conducted to ensure the smooth implementation of the departments Local Government Human Rights Program, which is designed to ensure the accountability of local authorities in the protection and promotion of human rights in their respective localities.

Puno said teams of DILG trainers have been organized in all capital towns and cities in every region to spearhead the training, which will be conducted in partnership with other stakeholders in the locality.

Puno, who is concurrent chairman of the Napolcom, said that besides setting up a WCPD in every town, the PNP, on his orders, will also establish a Women and Children Protection Center in every region in the country as well as counterpart centers at the provincial and city levels.

These centers and WCPDs will be headed by, and staffed with, female police officers, Puno said, to provide women and children a more comfortable and relaxed setting when seeking assistance from the police.

Unlike a typical police station, these women- and children-friendly centers will have a more relaxed, home-like ambiance, brightly colored walls and even temporary shelters for distraught women and children.

These centers and WCPDs are tasked to handle cases of violence and abuse committed against women and children, including trafficking and exploitation as defined under Republic Act 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act of 2004.

Puno said the establishment of these centers is not only in accordance with R.A. 9262 and the Magna Carta of Women. It also but also demonstrates the importance that the DILG and PNP have placed on family-related concerns and these institutions responsiveness to gender-sensitivity issues.

Recently, Puno ordered the speedy implementation of another human rights projectthe Access to Justice for the Poorthat the DILG is carrying out in partnership with the Supreme Court. Women members of the poor families are often the most unjustly treated.  –Sammy Martin Reporter, Manila Times