MANILA — The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) will capacitate the Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) desks to improve the handling of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) cases in barangays.
A VAWC desk is a barangay-level facility that helps victim-survivors who have faced various types of abuse.
It is typically located within the barangay hall and managed by a VAWC desk officer appointed by the Punong Barangay.
“Ang importante kasi, sabi nga ng Pangulo, saan magsusumbong ang bata? Kanino magsusumbong ito? At pagsumbong sa barangay, alam ba ng barangay kung ano ang gagawin?,” DILG Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said in a Palace press briefing on Wednesday.
“So dapat dito ay ika-capacitate po natin. Kaya napag-usapan kahapon at gagawin po natin, ika-capacitate po ito. In fact, ilalagay rin po natin ito as part of the seal of good local governance ‘no,” Abalos said.
In addition to capacitating VAWC desks, the DILG will likewise mandate the conduct of seminars.
“Lalagyan po natin ng tinatawag na parameters ito sa lahat ng mga barangay at local government units sa buong Pilipinas. Iyan po ay imamandato ng DILG na sila ay magkaroon ng mga seminars dito,” the Cabinet official said.
When asked about the Interior department’s actions against barangay officials who may prove to be negligent, the DILG chief said there is an ongoing capacity building that will focus on them.
“Well, as much as possible ‘no, actually, we have an ongoing capacity building pero siguro, this will be more focused on each and every one of them,” he said.
Abalos further noted that administrative cases will be filed against negligent barangay officials.
“But what is important here, is that iyong kakulangan ‘no o kaya tinalikuran ang bata eh – kasi wala nang pupuntahan ‘yan eh, bata ‘yan eh. Menor de edad ‘yan eh tapos tatalikuran mo pa, hindi pupuwede iyon – talagang iyan, talagang may sanction kami diyan. Hindi puwedeng walang sanction iyan, we’ll see to it may administrative cases kaming ipa-file diyan,” he said. (PND)
