“If we really want to stop violence against women and children (VAWC), it starts with us.”
Pasig City Mayor Vico said this during his State of the Children Address on Monday, Nov. 28, culminating the celebration of National Children’s Month.
Addressing an audience of adults and children at the 2022 Children's Summit, Sotto emphasized the importance of overcoming fears to speak up against violence and vowing to never be perpetrators of these crimes.
"Naiintindihan po natin na madalas po pag may nakikita tayong violence against women and children, ang default po natin ay medyo natatakot tayo na magsalita sa ating kapatid, magulang, o asawa. Normal po na mangamba tayo o matakot. Pero sana isipin po natin na kung gusto natin matigil talaga ito, it starts with us. Una, na tayo mismo, hindi natin gagawin ang mga bagay na iyon (We understand that, usually, when we see violence against women and children, we feel scared to talk to our siblings, parents, or spouses about it. It is normal to feel doubtful and fearful. But if we really want to stop VAWC, it starts with us. First, by committing that we will never do and enact harm )," he said.
"Kailangan rin po na pag may nakita o narinig tayo na kapitbahay natin binubugbog ang asawa o anak, sana po ay hindi tayo manahimik lamang. Kung magbibingi-bingihan o magbubulag-bulagan tayo, hindi po matatapos ang problemang ito (When we see or hear of our neighbors abusing their spouse or their child, I hope we do not remain silent. These issues will never be solved if we pretend or insist on being blind or deaf to them)," Sotto added.
The city government has mechanisms in place to address VAWC such as the Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC) and the Local Council Against Trafficking and VAWC (LCAT-VAWC), all of which are subject to quarterly meetings, discussion, and adjustment of policies.
However, the mayor stressed that citizens should not think of curbing VAWC as the job and responsibility solely of the government, social welfare groups, or the police.
"Kailangan po ay magtulungan tayo para po itaguyod ang mga karapatan ng ating mga kabataan para siguraduhin na ligtas sila sa kanilang mga kabahayan, paaralan. Ang bawat isa po sa atin dito ay may papel at responsibilidad, lalo na po sa VAWC (We have to work together to uphold the rights of our children to ensure their safety in their homes and schools. Each one of us here has a role to play and a responsibility, especially in regards to VAWC)," Sotto said.
VAC in numbers
The Pasig City local government continues to strengthen its programs and projects for children's survival, development, protection, and participation rights, in adherence to the general principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child.
Sotto reported there are 102 children in conflict with the law (CICLs), 96 of which are male, logged in Pasig City as of 2022. In 2021, there were 151 CICLs with 62 classified as "children-at-risk."
The number of children being cared for by daycare centers under the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) programs of the local government has decreased, from 6,100 in 2021, to 5,891 in 2022.
The beneficiaries of the Supervised Neighborhood Play (SNP) program, has also grown to 1,000 in 2022, compared to just 200 in 2021. The growth of the SNP, a form of daycare program aimed at improving the health of young kids, was attributed to the easing of pandemic restrictions and better conditions this year.
Sotto said they are working towards finding and accommodating other children who need daycare services.
There are now 536 spaces considered "child-friendly" in the city.
There are 20 children being processed for adoption in 2022, same as in 2021, with the help of the CSWD and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Meanwhile, the city's rescue processing center responds to more than 60 cases per year.
There are 332 kids with "special cases," pertaining to child abuse and VAWC, that local government bodies have referred to other agencies in 2022, higher than the previous years.
Based on the central police station's records, Sotto said there were 140 VAWC cases from January to September 2022, 68 of which involved minors. Eight of the 68 were CICLs.
Sotto said he thinks the increase in the reported cases does not necessarily point to an increase in the instances of VAWC or child abuse in Pasig. Rather, it can be an indication that more VAWC cases are being reported to the authorities.
With the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the local government, the CSWD, and the Pasig police have conducted numerous entrapment operations throughout the year to rescue trafficked or abused children in the city, Sotto said.
Sotto said the NBI and the CSWD caught and arrested 23 female potential victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation, two of whom are minors, last Nov. 25 at a KTV club in Barangay Ugong, Pasig City.
He also mentioned the case of a child sold by one of his parents for P45,000 to pay their E-sabong debts last March. With the police, NBI, CSWD, the child was found and is now safe. The three buyers were arrested and jailed.
Sotto enumerated other successful multi-sectoral operations that resulted in the rescue of underaged victims from exploitative groups and individuals in Pasig, many of whom were endorsed to childcare centers for physical and psychological support.
While they have rescued and intervened in many cases, Sotto said the data is still admittedly low given the severity and frequency of these crimes.
"Hinihikayat ko po ang bawat isa na pag may impormasyon tayo, may nalalaman, nabalitaan, o may naririnig tayo – kahit konting ebidensya lang po – ilapit niyo na po sa amin kaagad at asahan niyo po na aaksyunan natin, ipapakulong po natin (If you have any information or knowledge, no matter how small the evidence is, I urge everyone to reach out and report to us immediately. Rest assured we will take action on it, and we will put the perpetrators behind bars)," Sotto said.
There may not be very high levels of human and child trafficking in Pasig, but Sotto remained firm in fighting these crimes, saying "one case is too many."
In good hands
Despite the areas for improvement in the local government's efforts to stop cases of VAWC, Sotto said Pasigueño children are "in good hands."
The mayor praised the 11th City council, headed by the "strong-willed and diligent" Vice Mayor Robert "Dodot" Jaworski Jr., stating the essence of the city council's support in legislating policies for the protection of children and anti-trafficking.
In the recent “Child-Friendly Local Gov’t Audit," Pasig City was recognized for its exemplary performance in the delivery of services for children with an overall rating of 91.07 percent.
The city's LCAT-VAWC was also commended for having the "ideal level of functionality" at the 2022 Local Governance Exemplar Awards.
The city government is focusing on two key aspects in their programs for children – awareness and capacity-building.
The local government has partnered with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for the Opportunity 2.0 program that aims to "establish the broad alliance of youth workers, advocates, and institutions to deliver services for out-of-school youth (OSYs)."
The program has facilitated capacity-building venues for the Pasig Youth Development Alliance (YDA), positive youth development sessions, initial OSY development planning, and pathway orientations wherein OSYs established their own youth leadership circles within the YDA.
To curb VAWC in cyberspace, the local government also recently partnered with the Cyber Guardians PH to address online child abuse and exploitation.