CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) -- Culminating the Women’s Month celebration in the region, the Philippine Commission on Women North Mindanao Field Office (PCW-NMFO) invited lawyers from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Misamis Oriental to discuss the Safe Spaces Act of 2019 or Republic Act No. 11313 and gender-based sexual harassment among women at the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) on March 23 as part of the #WEcanbeEquALL Information Drive: Women’s Forum. 

“The Safe Spaces Act addresses the existing gaps and issues on equality, security, and safety for both women and men in private and public spaces. It is intended to expand the scope of the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law,” Lawyer Judee Mae Rodriguez-Salvaña said.

Before the amendment of the Safe Spaces Act, the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995, also known as Republic Act No. 7877, was in effect, she added. Compared to R.A. 11313, she stated that this law only addresses gender-based violence in the workplace setting.

Salvaña said gender-based sexual harassment may occur when any person subjects another individual to unwanted or uninvited sexual actions or remarks, irrespective of the motivation behind such behavior. These actions can take place in various settings, including streets, public areas, privately owned establishments accessible to the public, and online platforms. 

Additionally, instances of gender-based sexual harassment can occur within workplaces, educational institutions, and training facilities. Individuals with authority or those who hold moral ascendancy over the victim are not the only ones who perpetrate such harassment.

Lawyer Carolyn Salcedo further narrowed down important details about gender-based sexual harassment among women, saying, “Men and women can be both or are covered under this law as opposed to the previous law on sexual harassment, which applied only to women being harassed and only with the superiors in an employment setting here."

The law also holds peers liable. The law stipulates that minors can only face administrative liability when the school has established its administrative functions.

“So even if the person being harassed is not interested, but the school administrators or the person responsible for the grievance procedure are aware of or have knowledge of this existing harassment or violence that has been reported, but they have not acted upon it, they will become liable for that, the administrators themselves,” Salcedo said. 

With the expanded scope of R.A. 7877 that led to the creation of R.A. 11313, a person who has been harassed, men or women, minors or not, can use this law as protection against their perpetrators.  

“I learned a lot about the laws nga ga-protect sa women. This forum was very informative, and it made me open my eyes nga women have really started to get protected, which is different kaayo from the times before, and I’m very thankful nga we were able to have this privilege of joining this forum,” said USTP student Apple Jane J. Ortega, one of the participants.

[I learned a lot about the laws that protect women. This forum was very informative, and it made me open my eyes to the reality that women are now beginning to receive protection, a stark contrast to previous times. I'm very thankful that we were able to have the privilege of joining this forum.]

PCW NMFO stressed that by recognizing women’s rights and their scope, a stronger and better community is being created, protecting women and their children too. 

The lawyers said individuals who believe they are experiencing harassment have the option to contact the police for assistance. Additionally, there are provisions addressing gender-based violence and online harassment. This encompasses any online behavior directed at a specific individual that results in, or is likely to result in, mental, emotional, or psychological distress, as well as fear for personal safety. (MGAB/PIA-10)