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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DSWD condemns abuse of PWD on public bus

DSWD condemns abuse of PWD on public bus

Published Jun 13, 2025 05:43 pm
(SCREENSHOT FROM DSWD)
(SCREENSHOT FROM DSWD)
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Friday, June 13, denounced the physical abuse of a person with disability (PWD) aboard a public bus, describing the incident as “inhumane.”
A video of the assault, which has circulated on social media, shows the victim visibly distressed while being physically attacked by several individuals.
The footage reportedly captures the victim being “kicked, punched, and even electrocuted.”
“Walang anumang excuse ang ginawa nilang pambubugbog sa nakikita naman nilang person with disability at alam nilang nangangailangan ng unawa. Hindi makatao ang gawaing ganun (There is absolutely no excuse for what they did; beating up someone they clearly saw was a person with disability and who they knew needed understanding. That kind of act is inhumane),” said DSWD Crisis Intervention Program Director Edwin Morata.
He said the DSWD is now coordinating efforts to locate the victim and provide appropriate assistance, including medical, psychological, and legal support.
“Maliban sa tinamo niyang injury, kakailanganin din ang assistance upang matulungan siyang iprocess ang trauma mula sa pangyayari (In addition to treating the injuries, trauma counseling will be necessary to help the victim process what happened),” he added.
Morata pointed out that the government is committed to protecting the rights and welfare of PWDs and ensuring their inclusion in development efforts.
“[The] government is exerting all efforts to ensure that the persons with disability sector is provided with the needed assistance to help protect their rights, welfare, and lead them to development. Violent actions against any member of the sector set us back in achieving our goal of giving them a chance to nation building,” he said.
Morata explained that the rights of PWDs are safeguarded under Republic Act (RA) 7277, or the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability, which prohibits discrimination and ensures access to public services and accommodations.
Additional penalties apply under RA 9442 for verbal or non-verbal abuse and public ridicule targeting PWDs.
If the victim is found to be a minor, further legal protection may apply under RA 7610, the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act.
Morata urged the public to report any information that could help identify the perpetrators and support law enforcement efforts.

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