Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda on Tuesday reminded police officers and barangay officials that they cannot mediate in cases involving violence against women and their children (VAWC), citing Republic Act No. 9262 or the Anti-VAWC Law.
“It is in the law, bawal ‘yan (that is not allowed),” Tabanda said in an interview. She clarified that at the community level, officials are only authorized to issue a Barangay Protection Order (BPO), which prevents perpetrators from approaching victims.
“It is for the protection of the woman or the child that the law prohibits settlement or mediation,” said Tabanda, who chairs the Committee on Women, Children and the Elderly and is the lone woman in the city council.
Tabanda also stressed that abused women now have access to temporary shelters and government interventions. The City Social Welfare and Development Office provides safe spaces where victims are assessed for financial aid and other assistance.
“We have the Haven for Women and Girls managed by the DSWD where they can seek temporary or longer shelter if home is not possible,” she said, adding that some victims bring their children to ensure their safety.
She emphasized that these interventions aim to empower victims and help them rebuild their lives.
“There is a need to boost the morale of the victims so that they can renew themselves and stand up to help themselves and their children,” Tabanda said.
She also urged women to empower themselves intellectually, physically, psychologically, and financially to prevent becoming victims of violence in their own homes.