Part of the problem lies in the barangay officials, who, when the wife seeks their protection, would try to discourage her from pursuing the case, according to officials monitoring the cases. In some instances, these barangay officials would even tell the victim that she deserved to be beaten for being a nagger, said Davao City councilor Angela Librado-Trinidad, chairperson of the Committee for Women and Children.
In the few instances that the woman filed a case in court, gender-insensitive judges handling the case would try to convince her to opt for an amicable settlement, which Filipino judges tend to suggest more often these days in order to unclog their courts overloaded dockets, Trinidad added.
The Women Development Code, a landmark legislation that seeks to correct many of the problems women face in the judicial system, will soon be undergoing a review. There will be recommendations and amendments since the code, according to officials, is relatively new.
We recommend the rehabilitation to preserve the marriage bond, Trinidad said.
Among those to be studied and proposed upon is to sensitize the judges and lawyers through gender sensitivity programs and to rehabilitate the respondents by providing counseling and therapy.
Based on her own experience, I hope those lawyers hired by the City Hall are sympathetic to the victims and there will be more assistance given to the victims, Kathy said.
Despite the slow progress in her case, Kathy hopes to pursue it justice is done. Granting that I could go on till the end, I want my case to inspire more women to come out in the open, Kathy added. (Rolando Pinsoy/davaotoday.com)
Gender Issues
