Spike in VAW cases no cause for alarm – ICPO

By: Jennifer P. Rendon

Among the provinces and cities in Western Visayas, Iloilo City recorded the most number of violence against women (VAW) cases in the region.

In fact, the 387 VAW cases in the city from January to October 2019 are 61 cases more compared to 326 in the same period last year.

But for the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), the increase should not cause any alarm.

“We’re not really concerned about the increase because we have been encouraging women to report abuses against them,” Police Captain Shella Mae Sangrines, ICPO Women and Children’s Desk (WCPD) chief, said.

After all, the increase in the number of reported cases should does not mean that the number of actual WAV incidents also spiked.

“We campaign for women empowerment and increase of level of awareness among our women. Maybe, this is the result now. We don’t want to stigmatize women who reported abuses on them,” she explained.

Due to increased awareness, Sangrines said they recorded several forms of abuses that do not necessarily involve physical assault.

“We have now received complaints of verbal abuse, economic abuse, and the likes. The complainants also come from different economic classes of the community,” she said.

Abuses committed against women were highlighted as the government started its 18-day Campaign to Eliminate VAW (Violence Against Women) on Nov. 25.

Of the 1,043 VAW cases in the region, Iloilo province tailed Iloilo City with 358.

Negros Occidental recorded 190 VAW cases; Aklan – 152, Capiz – 136, Guimaras – 89, Antique – 59, and Bacolod City with only 32 cases.

The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) noted that most VAW cases are breaches of the provisions of Republic Act 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004).