The Iloilo City Police Station 6 or Arevalo Police Station is campaigning for the implementation of Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence against Women and their Children (VAWC) Act of 2004 through symposia in 13 district villages.

They have finished conducting symposia in 11 villages, the most recent of which was in Brgy. Sto. Domingo, wherein 70 women and their partners attended.

Most of them are beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

PO2 Rodelita Jalanoon, Women’s and Children’s Protection Desk Investigator of ICPS 6 spearheaded the discussion on RA 9262.

Meanwhile, Pastor Jeremy Albona of the Iloilo Baptist Church talked about Responsible and Effective Parenting. 

Senior Police Officer 1 Analyn Acopicop, Police Non-Commissioned Officer of Arevalo, said that the project aims to increase the public’s awareness on RA 9262, “so they would learn to protect themselves.”

Under the law, VAWC refers to “any act or a series of acts committed by any person against a woman who is his wife, former wife, or against a woman with whom the person has or had a sexual or dating relationship, or with whom he has a common child, or against her child whether legitimate or illegitimate, within or without the family abode, which results in or is likely to result in physical sexual, psychological harm or suffering, or economic abuse including threats of such acts, battery, assault, coercion, harassment or arbitrary deprivation of liberty.”

The four types of VAWC are: physical violence that refers to acts that include bodily or physical harm; sexual violence that refers to acts which are sexual in nature; psychological violence like acts or omissions causing or likely to cause mental or emotional suffering of the victim; and economic abuse like acts that make or attempt to make a woman financially dependent. 

Acopicop also said that they aim to finish the program in the two remaining villages -- Bonifacio and San Jose -- before the month ends.*