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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Compassionate program': Romualdez backs compensation plan for child victims of violent crimes

'Compassionate program': Romualdez backs compensation plan for child victims of violent crimes

Published Jul 17, 2025 11:39 pm

At A Glance

  • Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president, Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez is 100 percent behind the Marcos administration's plan to give financial compensation to young victims of violent crimes.
(Unsplash)
(Unsplash)


Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president, Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez is 100 percent behind the Marcos administration’s plan to give financial compensation to young victims of violent crimes.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) earlier announced an agreement establishing a referral system enabling child victims to access monetary remuneration for their basic needs and other recovery-related expenses.
Romualdez, in a statement Thursday, July 17, lauded the program as a timely and compassionate intervention that would provide significant relief to the child victims and their families.
“Our young ones deserve to be cared for, nurtured, and protected. When they become victims of cruel, violent crimes, it becomes the government’s duty to ensure that they are properly supported on the way to healing and recovery,” said the 19th Congress House Speaker.
“By making it easier for them to access financial compensation that can cover expenses for treatment, therapy, legal support, and education, we give young survivors a real chance at a fresh start — with the government standing firmly by their side,” he noted.
Romualdez--expected to reprise his leadership role in the 20th Congress--vowed to champion in the House of Representatives initiatives to institutionalize the program and ensure allocation of adequate funding for the referral mechanism.
“Ang mga batang biktima ng mga marahas na krimen ay aming kinakatawan sa Kongreso. Nararapat lamang na mabigyan sila ng sapat na suporta para sa kanilang pagbangon at paghilom,” he stressed.
(We represent child victims of violent crimes in Congress. They deserve adequate support for their recovery and healing.)
Under the memorandum of agreement signed on Tuesday, the DSWD will be able to assist and refer child-victims from the agency’s residential care facilities (RCFs) to the DOJ’s Victim Compensation Program (VCP).
The VCP aims to provide a certain amount of monetary compensation to victims of violent crimes with the objective of recompensing to a certain extent the damage to the lives of those who suffered from lawlessness and grave injustice.
The agreement covers child victims of rape, torture, enforced and involuntary disappearance, trafficking in persons, and online sexual abuse and exploitation, among others.
“By helping them jumpstart their recovery and reintegration into society, we are not only fulfilling our duty as public servants — we are also giving these children the chance to dream again and reach for a better future,” said the Visayan.
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