18-day Campaign to End Violence Against Women to
be launched Sunday in line with Aquino government's efforts to protect and
uphold rights of women
The
Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) is set to launch on Sunday the
"18-day Campaign to End Violence Against Women" as part of the Aquino
government's efforts to protect and uphold the rights of women in times of
armed conflict and disasters.
The PCW, which is under the Office of the
President, will spearhead the campaign from November 25 to December 12, 2012.
The event, which has for its theme "Violence Against Women --- Free
Society in Times of Peace, Conflict and Calamity," will kick off on Sunday
at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.
The PCW is the primary policy-making and
coordinating body on women and gender equality concerns.
Philippine Commission on Women chairperson
Remedios Rikken will lead the kick-off activity on Sunday while Manila Mayor
Alfredo S. Lim will give a message to the people.
The campaign is in line with the directives of
President Benigno S. Aquino III for the PCW to spearhead the implementation of
the Magna Carta of Women otherwise known as Republic Act No. 9710 and the
promotion of gender equality.
Section 30 of the Magna Carta of Women
classifies women victim-survivors of VAW during disasters and armed conflict situation
as Women in Especially Difficult Circumstances (WEDC).
The 18-day campaign aims to raise awareness of
the national government agencies, local government units, and the general
public about gender-based violence in crisis situations. Gender-based violence
refers to any harmful act that is perpetrated against a person's will on the
basis of gender differences.
The drive also includes increasing support
mechanisms to make it more accessible to Violence Against Women
victim-survivors during disaster and crisis situation.
It also aims to forge partnership among
stakeholders in addressing gender-based violence in crisis situation.
The event includes multi-media activities,
launching of Barangay Violence Against Women Desk Handbook, information sessions
for Internally Displaced Persons or evacuees, and forum by different
organizations working in the conflict/disaster areas. PND (js)
President Aquino to lead conferment of Quezon
Service Cross award on Robredo
President
Benigno S. Aquino III will lead the conferment Monday of the Quezon Service
Cross award on the late Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo
who died in a plane crash off Masbate coast last August.
Monday’s
event in Malacanang marks the 100th day of the death of Robredo.
The
awarding of the Quezon Service Cross on Robredo was announced by Presidential
spokesman Edwin Lacierda during a radio interview over state-run dzRB Radyo ng
Bayan on Saturday.
“There
will be a ceremony. This is the highest award that the Republic of the
Philippines can give to any Filipino. It is an award bestowed with the approved
concurrence of the two Houses of Congress,” Lacierda said.
The
Quezon Service Cross was proposed by former President Manuel Roxas in honor of
President Manuel L. Quezon to serve as the highest honor of the Republic.
In August
1946, President Roxas submitted a proposed Joint Resolution to Congress for the
creation of the Quezon Service Cross, the highest award the republic could
bestow.
The
Quezon Service Cross was created by virtue of Joint Resolution No. 4 s. 1946
enacted by both houses of Congress.
Although
Congress was abolished upon the declaration of Martial Law, the Quezon Service
Cross remained but was not awarded to any individual.
In the
reforms of the awards system of the Republic in 2003, Executive Order No. 236
retained the original intention of President Roxas to have the Quezon Service
Cross as the highest decoration of the Philippines.
In the
Order of Precedence of Philippine Honors and State Decorations the Quezon
Service Cross is the top recognition a Filipino can receive from the Republic.
Three
individuals were awarded prior to the abolition of the Third Republic in 1972.
Since its
creation in 1946, only four people, to date, have been awarded the Quezon
Service Cross. Among those include the former president of the United Nation
General Assembly Carlos P. Romulo, former presidents Emilio Aguinaldo and Ramon
Magsaysay, and the late senator Benigno Aquino Jr., the father of the present
president. PND (as)
Government continues to dismantle private armed
groups, says Palace
Government’s campaign against private armed
groups has been continuing and the Department of the Interior and Local
Government (DILG) has already identified election hot spots in preparation for
the election next year, Malacanang said on Saturday.
There are
some criticisms about government’s efforts to dismantle private armed groups in
the country particularly after the country marked the third year of the
Maguindanao massacre, in which several media men were killed.
The
government is dealing with private armed groups and Interior and Local
Government Secretary Manuel Roxas already released a watch list, Presidential
spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan
Saturday.
Also he
said there was an agreement issued by the DILG, the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) regarding the
government’s campaign against private armed groups.
On
November 23, 2009, some 200 armed men forced the group of 58 people – 20
Mangudadatu relatives and supporters in Maguindanao, 32 journalists and media
workers, and 6 passersby – off the highway near Ampatuan town and executed
them.
The
Maguindanao massacre brought to light the dangers posed by private armies,
militias, and paramilitaries in the peace and order situation in the
Philippines.
Several
members of the Ampatuan clan, the alleged perpetrators, are now in jail and on
trial for the massacre. Out of 197 identified suspects, the government has
arrested 99. PND (as)
Malacanang: DFA to continue advancing country’s
interest in international fora
The
government made an assurance on Saturday that it would continue to protect the
country’s interests and territory particularly with the dispute over the West
Philippines Sea.
During a
radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday, Presidential spokesman
Edwin Lacierda said the Department of Foreign Affairs has already issued a note
verbale protesting China’s new passport that contains map of the contested
territory.
“The DFA
will continue to be vigilant in ensuring that our interests are protected in
the international forum, and we will continue to make the necessary
representations to protect our territories,” Lacierda said.
China has
enraged other claimant countries after releasing newly revised passports having
a dashed map showing its claim on the West Philippine Sea.
China
claims the West Philippine Sea in its entirety, though parts of the waters are
also being claimed by Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
China's
act of including the said map in its revised passports could be seen as a
provocation as it would require other nations to endorse those claims by
affixing their official seals to the documents.
Foreign
Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said he sent a note verbale to the Chinese
Embassy to strongly protest the image. According to Del Rosario, China is
claiming an area that is clearly part of the Philippine territory and maritime
domain. PND (as)
