Women’s rights group GABRIELA on Sunday, January 18, raised alarm over what it described as an “epidemic” of violence against women and children in the Philippines, citing a surge in brutal cases ranging from domestic killings and sexual abuse of minors to technology-facilitated violence such as AI-generated deepfakes.

In a statement, the group said recent incidents reported nationwide reflect a deepening crisis that exposes systemic failures to protect women and children and uphold their rights.

These include the shooting of a woman by her live-in partner in Bacolod, the fatal stabbing of a woman by her husband, the rape of a 13-year-old girl by her stepfather in Pasig, and the sexual assault of a 15-year-old in Makati.

Other cases cited involved the arrest of a photographer’s assistant for acts of lasciviousness in Muntinlupa; an investigation into a public school teacher in Tondo over alleged child abuse; the proliferation of AI-generated deepfake content used to exploit women and children; and an ongoing probe involving a Manila police officer accused of rape.

“These incidents don't happen in a vacuum. They are the result of a rotten system that devalues women and children, normalizes misogyny, and allows impunity to flourish—while people’s money that could have been spent to protect and provide services for women gets lost to corruption,” GABRIELA Secretary-General Clarice Palce said.

Palce said violence persists not only inside homes and communities but also online and within institutions meant to safeguard the public, including schools and law enforcement agencies.

“From brutality in the home to high-tech exploitation online, and even within the halls of learning, violence against women and children persists because the state lacks the political will to uproot its causes and deliver immediate justice—if not acting as the perpetrator itself,” Palce added.

Amid the alarming trend, GABRIELA urged victims and survivors of abuse to come forward and seek support, stressing that silence only enables further violence.

“To anyone experiencing or who has suffered abuse, you are not alone. There is a community of survivors and women’s advocates who believe that empowering, organizing, and mobilizing women are key to changing the system that breeds violence,” Palce said.

GABRIELA—a grassroots-based alliance of more than 200 organizations, institutions, desks, and programs operating in communities, workplaces, and schools across all regions and major provinces and cities in the Philippines—also called for stronger collective action from all sectors of society, including demands for genuine justice, comprehensive survivor support systems, and an end to systemic misogyny and state neglect.

“We call on all Filipino women to unite, organize, and fight back. Our collective voice is our strongest weapon. We must work together and fight for a society where women and children can live free from fear and violence,” Palce said.