ZAMBOANGA CITY (PIA) – Around 50 male Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel from the different offices of Police Regional Office 9 (PRO-9) participated in the Men Opposed to Violence against Women Everywhere (MOVE) orientation to strengthen their advocacy on eliminating gender-based violence and promoting gender equality.
The orientation took place at Bigkis-Lahi, Camp Col Romeo A Abendan, Mercedes, Zamboanga City on December 6-7 2023.
PLTCOL Hazel A Fernandez, Chief of PRO-9, emphasized the transformative power of knowledge, declaring that joining the MOVE Orientation Seminar signifies a commitment to creating a safer environment, particularly for women and children. She also encouraged the participants to absorb and internalize the shared information and become advocates for change.
As of to date, Region 9 has recorded 64 cases of Violence Against Women (VAW), which are under investigation by the Commission on Human Rights 9.
The PRO-9 is actively involved in eliminating all forms of violence against women (VAW) by continuously implementing programs and intervention measures such as information, education, and advocacy drives down to the community level, including social media utilization, community engagements, and outreach activities.
“Most of our programs are victim-focused, but we also come up with interventions that focus on the offenders and perpetrators,” Col Fernandez said.
MOVE aims to strengthen the commitment of policemen to addressing and promoting crucial gender-related issues. PLTCOL Fernandez encouraged every member of the police force, especially in Zamboanga Peninsula, to be committed in their work towards inclusivity.
“Let us remain focused on our mission, continue to be proactive, and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of this organization by simply doing our sworn duty, especially in protecting women and children and upholding rights-based approaches within the Philippine National Police,” he said. (KSA/RVC/EDT/MLE/JQB-GIP PIA9-Zamboanga City)
