Quezon City expands protection programs as cases of local violence among women breaches 300
MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City is set to buttress its current protection programs for women and children after the number of reports of violence against women in the city breached the 300-mark on Tuesday, the city's public information office said.
In a statement issued Tuesday afternoon, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said that the city would be looking into constructing a shelter—or a half-way house under the QC Protection Center that will accept women and children fleeing violence—as well as putting up a crisis helpline and online support groups to provide counseling and legal advice.
No timetable and further details on these projects were mentioned.
"According to the QC Gender and Development Office, the city has received a total of 335 incident reports of violence against women and children from different barangays during the quarantine period. These include reports of physical, sexual, psychological, verbal, and economical (sic.) abuse," the city said in a statement.
Earlier Monday afternoon, the PNP Women and Children Protection Center in a letter addressing reports of its inaction on complaints was careful to rebuff these very reports, saying it received no formal reports and going as far as listing its accomplishments over the quarantine period despite what it identified as "challenges" for its investigators.
The same statement urged Women and Children Protection Desks "to exert their best efforts to investigate complaints."
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"In actuality, the WCPC and WCPDs continued its daily operation during the Community Quarantine and demonstrated resourcefulness whenever faced with difficulties," the PNP-WCPC's statement read.
"For example, for the period covering March 16, 2020 to June 15, 2020, the WCPC and WCPDs conducted a total of 5,049 investigations, 3,628 arrests with 3,462 inquest proceedings — demonstrating their dedication to duty and professionalism in the midst of this pandemic," it added.
LOOK: PNP Women and Children Protection Center acknowledges reports that Women and Children Protection Desks were "unable to address complaints for domestic violence, harassment," but says the office has "yet to receive formal reports." @PhilstarNews pic.twitter.com/iiRRXzvBnh
— Franco Luna (@FrancoOvrboard) June 15, 2020
According to President Rodrigo Duterte's report to Congress on Monday night, a total of 4,260 cases of violence against women and children were recorded during the community quarantine period, while Tuesday afternoon's data from Joint Task Force COVID Shield showed that the number of cases of rape reported since March 17 rose from 1,003 on Monday to 1,040 on Tuesday.
74 of these were reported to the Quezon City Police District, the city said in its statement.
“This pandemic has revealed to us the gaps we need to address in terms of women and children violence. We have been getting reports of individuals who want to leave their homes but do not have anywhere else to go,” said Belmonte.
“Abuse doesn't choose a time. It can happen [at] any time. So we want to extend services that will attend to women anytime they need, especially if they are in immediate danger,” she added.
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