ILOILO City – Women who are victims of any form of violence are urged to break the cycle of abuse and be free from it.
Atty. Ethel D. Sanson of Zonta Club Iloilo City II said the decision to break the cycle is at the hand of every woman who is suffering from abuse.
“Break the cycle and do not be afraid to ask for help… It’s either fight or plight kag panumdomon niyo you are not alone because there are people sa palibot mo handa ka buligan,” Sanson told victims of abuse in an interview with Panay News.
Sanson, who specializes in family-related cases and domestic relations, stressed that the law is there to protect every woman.
“It is very difficult. The battered-wife syndrome is a reality. I’ve seen that happened on several actual living ladies, so try to fight, try to break the cycle because at the end of the day, the decision to break the cycle should start or emanate from you,” she stressed.
For her part, retired police colonel Cecilia Detablan, who heads the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Advocates’ Network (Atipan), Inc., echoed the encouragement for abused women to break the silence against abuses.
Detablan noted that there are battered women who prefer to stay in a battering relationship because of three reasons – love, financial and fear.
“Amo ni ang tatlo nga ini, amo ini ang nagapugong sa babaye nga manugid kag mag-report. So, dapat ini utdon ini siya… Ini tani ang ginahambal ta nga dapat break the silence, mangisog ka, report ka kag file ka kaso. Basi pa lang damu makumbinsi sa pila ka adlaw nga maggwa man,” said Detablan.
WOMEN, CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
Sanson emphasized that every woman and child has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
Be it victims of human trafficking, violence against women and children (VAWC), or child abuse, she added that they have the right to seek the services of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), a fact that is integrated within the law, as well as seek the assistance of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and local government units (LGUs).
“Diri sa legal office, we are not PAO, we have defined sets of responsibilities. Diri bal-an we have the authority to engage private practice kami. There are times nga gina-carry namon na sa private practice namon, pro-bono na,” Sayson noted.
Lastly, the lady lawyer further stressed that abused women and children have the right to know what their rights are and that they are entitled to a lawyer, to protection and access to government institutions that should support them. The frontliners of this are the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD), Barangay VAW Desk, and the DSWD and LGU social workers.
EMPOWERED WOMEN EMPOWERING FELLOW WOMEN
Empowered Ilongga women are taking the lead to empower their fellow women especially the victims of abuses and circumstances.
Among these is the Ilongga group Zonta Club Iloilo City II which is a member of Zonta International – a leading global organization of professionals empowering women worldwide through service and advocacy.
The organization envisions a world in which women’s rights are recognized as human rights and every woman is able to achieve her full potential.
In lloilo, Zonta Club Iloilo City II has carried out several undertakings, in partnership with different stakeholders, to advance the welfare of the women sector.
For one, the club partnered with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology’s (BJMP) Iloilo City District Jail – Female Dormitory to provide livelihood program to female persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).
Jail Senior Inspector Imee Lopera, warden of the female jail dormitory, said their partnership with Zonta started even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
It started from a visit way back several years ago wherein Rhea Peñaflorida, the group’s chairman for women and shelter committee, saw the potentials of the women PDLs in crafting accessories and other handmade products.
From then on, the livelihood program continues especially that it was cemented by a memorandum of agreement for its sustainability.
Zonta funded the livelihood materials and also provided a market for the product.
“Amo gid na ang ginapakita ko halin sang una nga may matinir nga program. At least maka-income sila, maski gamay-gamay ma-sustain kay nagahatag pa na sila sa ila family,” Lopera expressed.
She emphasized that the opportunities given to female PDLs have helped uplift their spirit and have been a big part of their development for them to be ready to be integrated in the society when they go out.
Just recently, for this holiday season, Zonta Club and BJMP-Iloilo City – Female Dormitory in partnership with SM City Iloilo launched the Christmas Star of Hope.
The cause-oriented program is intended for the benefit of female PDLs through their livelihood program in which every purchase of Christmas-beaded star (personally handmade by PDLs themselves), the proceeds will automatically be given for their Noche Buena this coming Christmas and also for their livelihood fund.
“Happy gid sila kay maski paano kuno may mga tawo nga ga-ulikid sa ila,” Lopera expressed.
She also noted that the livelihood program of the PDLs even helped their families outside.
On the other hand, another empowered woman who dedicates her time and efforts to help and empower women who are victims of abuse and human trafficking is Detablan.
She formerly headed the Police Regional Office 6 WCPD. Currently, she heads the “Atipan,” a non-government organization which caters services to victims of domestic human trafficking.
When she retired from office, Detablan, in her private capacity, vowed to continue her passion to serve her fellow women especially the abused or trafficked one.
Atipan does not just rescue trafficked women and children but also rehabilitated them so that they are ready to face a new life when they are reintegrated back to the society.
“Indi sila dapat i-reintergrate sa society if they are not fully rehabilitated,” she stressed.
Detablan has also been invited to several gatherings to discuss and raise awareness about human trafficking and VAWC./PN
