Camp Kangleon, Palo, Leyte, November 16, 2012 - Recognizing the crucial role of the active participation and support
of partner organizations to the Philippine National Police for the success of
any women and children protection program initiative, the Police Regional
Office 8 (PRO8) mustered the support of an active NGO partner to the advocacy
of the PNP aimed at zero statistics on the abuses committed to women and
children in the region.
“There is great importance of the role of women and children not only
in our personal lives but also in the society and future of the country. PRO8
promotes their rights and at the forefront of protecting them against all forms
of abuse and exploitation to include trafficking, prostitution and in the
protection of child offenders.” said PRO8 director Police Chief Superintendent ELMER RAGADIO SORIA during the signing
of the Memorandum of Agreement between PRO8 and PLAN International, represented
by its program manager, Mr. Rodel Bontuyan at Hotel Alejandro in Tacloban City.
“We made
a firm commitment to focus on proactive community-based initiatives in
collaboration with other concerned government agencies and civil society aimed
at promoting crime prevention and citizens’ involvement in crime-fighting,
thereby substantially reducing if not totally eradicating, the victimization of
persons specially women and children,” he added.
Corollary with the “Learning and Growth” aspect of
the PNP Patrol Plan 2030 which aims to develop competent, motivated and
values-oriented personnel, PRO8 had strengthened the Women and Children
Protection Desks (WCPDs) region wide by providing WCPD Investigators with
appropriate trainings, specifically the “10-day Specialized Course for WCPD
Officers” which benefited a total of 192 WCPD personnel from police stations
and the “Orientation-Seminar on Child Labor Law” conducted last
month.
SORIA
acknowledged the support extended by PLAN International on the areas of
partnership in the training of personnel, the establishment of Women and
Children Protection Units or WCPUs in PLAN-sponsored areas and the creation of
Multi-Disciplinary Teams catering to the needs of women and children,
especially those victims of abuse and exploitation.
“Let’s
start by ensuring that any crime against women and children will automatically
receive the highest and fullest attention and commitment for investigation and
prosecution. With this MOA signing, we are confident that our already
strong partnership will be enhanced especially in the areas of women and child
protection, promotion of their rights and their best interest”, he said.
PLAN
International is one of the oldest and largest children's development
organization in the world and works in 50 developing countries across
Africa, Asia and the Americas to promote child rights and lift millions of
children out of poverty. In Eastern Visayas, PLAN Program Areas are situated in
the three Samar provinces and Southern Leyte.
The organization supported the
establishment of existing 13 Women and Children Protection Units (WCPUs) and
additional 9 municipalities in PLAN-covered areas in the region to provide
protection to women and children-victims of abuse and exploitation and build linkages
with concerned agencies, which is managed by trained Multi-Disciplinary Teams
(MDTs) composed of doctors, social workers, and police officers. The
WCPU provides child-friendly and gender-sensitive services on investigation of
victims, conduct of forensic medical examination, and psychosocial
interventions for women and children victims of sexual and physical abuse.
Among
the salient provisions of the MOA is for PRO8 to ensure the quality of human
resources to undergo various training programs, particularly in the areas of
women and children protection, to its WCPD Investigators assigned at WCPUs and
for PLAN to establish quality WCPUs and facilitate formation of
Multi-disciplinary Teams.
No comments:
Post a Comment