Manila abuse victim protection center seeks to protect LGBT groups

Jose Angelo Ycasiano

May 23, 2023

(Photo sourced from Philstar)

The city council has passed an ordinance to establish a crisis center for abuse victims, including members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community.

The ordinance is in line with Section 40 of Republic Act (RA) 9262 or the "Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act," stating that the government must establish facilities in protecting victims of abuse and helping abusers through rehabilitation.

The primary author of Ordinance No. 8933, formally named "Women and Children Crisis Center for Victims and Survivors of Violence and Abuse in the City of Manila", Hon. Krystle Marie Bacani, stated that through the establishment of the crisis center, victims of abuse, regardless of any gender, will be provided security and assistance by the city government.

The ordinance was enacted on the 7th of March 2023, and it was approved by Manila City Council Mayor “Honey” Lacuna on the 14th of April of this year.

The crisis center is meant to be a direct response to abuse cases in the city, helping victims in finding temporary shelter from their abusers, rehabilitating offenders, and training services for both parties.

Well-received

The ordinance was well-received by some members of the LGBT community due to the inclusivity of its members in the ordinance.

“[The ordinance] shows inclusivity of the different genders when it comes to addressing victims and survivors of abuse,” Miguel, 21, a bisexual student from the University of Santo Tomas, said.

In Pew Research Center’s survey titled, “The Global Divide on Homosexuality,” 73 percent of Filipinos said that homosexuality should be accepted by modern society.

Venice, 17, a bisexual and transmasculine woman, also showed approval of the ordinance but is worried about the backlash the city council could receive because of the inclusion of LGBT members.

“I believe the ordinance is doing something good, but I am concerned about the backlash from those who oppose the LGBT community. I do think that with the ordinance, it could help the community in the country even further,” Venice said.

The LGBT community in the Philippines is discriminated against by religious groups, especially during the passing of the Anti-Discrimination Bill, popularly known as the SOGIE Bill, back in December 2022.

Educate

Some members of the LGBT community hoped that future programs by the Philippine government would help in educating the masses on the issue of gender-based violence and abuse against LGBT groups.

“[The Philippine government] should work on creating informative materials for everyone, just so that they know that we are human beings as well,” Miguel suggested.

Gender-based violence cases against the LGBT community date back to 2012, some of which were done by pro-ISIS groups in Marawi City even before the siege in 2017.