CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga (PIA) — Indigenous People Mandatory Representatives (IPMRs) and social workers from the different local government units in the Cordillera participated in the “Tongtongan Ed Kordilyera Gait di IPMRs: Lecture and Forum on Social Protections Laws” led by the Department Social Welfare and Development-Cordillera (DSWD-CAR).
The activity was a venue for the participants to learn and discuss policies and laws against violence, identify issues and concerns in handling gender-based violence in relation to cultural practices, and the roles of community leaders in various social issues, and to clarify the role of community leaders in eliminating or preventing violence as well as their limitations in handling cases in the community.
With 52 percent of gender-based cases not being filed in court partly due to the practice of amicable settlement, DSWD-CAR protective services division chief Mary Ann Buclao underscored the need to strike a balance between respecting customary laws and upholding the rights of victim-survivors.
“Although we respect our customary laws, we need to strike a balance on how we settle disputes. Your suggestions and recommendations are very crucial. This is one breakthrough kanya tayu,” Buclao told the participants, noting that amicable settlement of gender-based violence is not allowed under the special laws.
Buclao commended the Kalinga Provincial Committee Against Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Children for passing a resolution requesting the Kalinga Bodong Council of Elders (KBCE) to exclude rape among the cases being amicably settled under the province’s customary laws.
“I-benchmark tayo man because this is an innovation,” Buclao urged. KBCE chairperson Johnny Maymaya Sr. expressed the group’s support to ensuring that perpetrators of violence against women and children are punished under the Philippine legal system.
“Daytuy ngamin garud cases which involve the abuse of women and children ket nu kitkitaem iti settlement ti customary laws ket ti mabalin na nga maidusa ket diay in the form of money wennu property, so makitam dituy ket saan nga marikna diay nagbasul,” the elder said.
[Cases involving women and children in the settlement of customary laws is penalized in the form of money or property, and this cannot be really felt by the perpetrators.]
“Isu nga diyay, gapu dituy nga justification ken daytuy ngarud linteg nga naaramid, it is but proper nga mapan latta kuma diay korte tapnu marikna diay nakabasul ti inaramid na. Isu nga from then on ket saan kami nga tumangtanggap iti kaso which involves abuse of women and children,” Maymaya added.
[It is but proper that such cases should be filed in court so that the perpetrators can feel the severity of their crimes. We no longer entertain cases involving abuse of women and children.] (IOS-PIA CAR,Kalinga)
