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IN THE NEWS... Proposed self-defense
training for women approved at Committee level A BILL seeking to mandate the compulsory teaching of self-defense to all female members of society has been approved by the Committee on Women under Representative Josefina Joson (1st District, Nueva Ecija). Authored by Rep. Roseller Barinaga (2nd District, Zamboanga Del Norte), House Bill 386 establishes the self-defense training mechanisms under a program dubbed as the Movement to Help Eradicate Rape and Other Female Abuses (MOTHER). In the explanatory note to HB 386, Rep. Barinaga stated that basic self-defense techniques must be taught to enable females to protect themselves in the event of imminent danger, particularly the commission of heinous crimes such as rape, which have become more rampant. “Rape exempts no female — girls, wives, grandmothers, the rich and poor,” he stressed. Rep. Barinaga added that with the proper techniques, knowledge in self-defense would boost one’s self-confidence, help her develop a good disposition in life, and acquire quick reflexes in the face of imminent danger. “The intention of the bill is to simply teach our women from the primary, secondary and the tertiary (levels) on the basics (of) self defense. This can be incorporated in the Physical Education (program),” he said. He also clarified that there is no need to create another government body to implement the proposed law. He said the Department of Education (DepEd) shall institute the basic self-defense programs as part of the physical education program for the primary and secondary levels, while the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shall handle the programs at the tertiary level. Under the bill, the self-defense program shall also be incorporated in the curriculum of the technical and vocational courses administered by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The program shall also become part of a regular routine of female employees, both in the government and private sector, which shall be supervised respectively by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) shall likewise undertake the program to cover female local employees and out-of-school constituents in all local government units (LGUs). The bill also outlines the role of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in conducting the self-defense training for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). During the meeting of the Committee, representatives from the DOLE, CSC, and DFA, as well as the women’s group GABRIELA, expressed their support for the bill and proposed some modifications to strengthen the measure. Evelyn Manangan of DOLE recommended changing the title of the bill into “Rape Prevention Act” to avoid the impression that the proposed law pertains specifically to mothers. She also suggested imposing sanctions to put more teeth to the measure. Joan Sarmiento from the CSC proposed to add in the bill the compulsory teaching of basic human rights and gender sensitivity alongside the self-defense training. This would set the conduct of the self-defense program in its proper perspective, she explained. DFA representative Edna May Grecia Lazaro lauded Rep. Barinaga’s efforts towards promoting the rights and welfare of the migrant workers particularly those of women workers. She, however, informed the Committee of the constraints the DFA would face if it would be tasked to conduct self-defense training courses for female migrant workers. She explained that the DFA cannot possibly keep track of Filipinos going abroad because it does not have an office or station in any of the country’s international airports. Instead, she proposed to give the responsibility of conducting the basic self-defense program to the POEA, which has the mandate of regulating the travel abroad of OFWs. The program could be incorporated in the POEA’s pre-departure and pre-employment orientation seminars, she added. Gerata Ranjo-Libang of GABRIELA likewise acknowledged the value of the proposal in terms of equipping the female populace against possible aggressions. It would enable potential victims to think clearly and act accordingly instead of being paralyzed and helpless, she said.l Source: Committee Administrative Support
Service, Committee Affairs Department News Release One woman raped every two hours More than 3,600 women had been raped this year before Subic girl was Going by national rape statistics , more than 3,600 women and children had been raped this year before the 22-year Zamboanga college graduate suffered the same under the hands of six visiting US sailors inside a moving van at Subic Bay Freeport on Nov.1 One woman is raped every two hours in the country , or 12 women a day, Sen. Ralph Recto said. Going by the national average, that woman in Subic was the 12th victim that day, Recto said. There were 4,514 reported cases in 2003. But in the “heinousness yardstick” the rape committed by six crewmen of the /USS Essex/ stands out, not for the color of their skin nor for the circumstances of their visit , “but for its sheer barbarity.” “Yes, there are rapes here , and every one is violent, but you don’t read about a victim being slung on the shoulder of her rapist , like a caveman hauling off a booty to his cave, “ he said. “That’s the kind of visual that rankles even the most pro-American Filipino. Six soldiers with possibly professional football physiques ravaging a petite Filipina , /kahit sino magagalit. /She could have been anyone’s daughter or sister , you know,” he said. Recto said “statistics point to a surge in sex crimes against women .” “It’s for sociologists and criminologist to explain soberly on why it’s happening. Could it be the uncertainty of arrest of a serial rapist? Is it due to crowding in one-parent households ? Is there something in the popular culture to vaguely suggest it ? Is justice system failing us?” Recto hopes that interest on the issue should go beyond the “next news cycle “ because more and more children are becoming victims of sexual crimes. 3,397 children , or those below 18 years of age, were raped in 2003 as compared to the 1,117 women raped that year , Recto said, citing PNP statistics compiled by the National Statistical Coordination Board in the Philippine Statistical Yearbook . From 1999 to 2003, 21,445 women and children were raped , but the real number could be higher as most rapes go unreported to the police. For the same five year period , 66,713 women and children were victims of sex crimes , which include acts of lasciviousness , spousal battery, sexual trafficking, forced prostitution, among others. “You know how big that number is ? Imagine 1,110 buses and fill them all with victims. That’s how many they are ” he said. While recognizing that “preventing rape and prosecuting rapists” involve a ”combination of actions,” Recto said there is one that could be done right away by the government. Recto said the PNP should hire more policewomen. “ It can begin by setting aside 20 percent of the 1,500 cops to be hired next year to women officers." Under the 2006 proposed PNP budget, about P160 million has been earmarked as first year salary of rookie cops. “This isn’t an equal opportunity issue. But if there‘s a lady behind the complaint desk at the station , rape victims are more likely to come forward than if it were a male behind it. Rape victims complain that seeking justice is like being raped again. They’ll be at ease if a sister is there to hold their hand as they go through the long road to seek justice, “ Recto said. (30) http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/recto1_nov7-2005.htm THE MANILA TIMES FEATURE
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Last Updated: 19 November 2005 2003 Femalebattle.net |
