Children rally versus abuses

CEBU, Philippines - Some parents are unaware that their form of disciplining their kids may be doing more harm than good as this is already child abuse, so said the Children’s Legal Bureau.

Thus, yesterday, they launched the Child Protect Movement, CLB’s advocacy for the protection of children. They were joined by kids and parents, including Renante Pique, father of six-year-old kidnap-slay victim, Ellah Joy Pique.

CLB lawyer Jo-ann Saniel Amit said the movement’s focus will be on advocating in schools, in communities or barangays and the workplace for the protection of children who are prone to abuses, even by their own parents.

Amit said while other parents are aware that the way they discipline their children has gone beyond child’s rights, many, on the other hand, do not know that continuously disciplining them by beating them up or shouting at them is already abuse.

“Ang uban di ka-distinguish pero abuse na diay na. Kay mao na’y naandan nila sa pagdisiplina, which is wrong,” she said.

“Positive discipline ang kinahanglan, more of encouraging the child sa saktong buhaton. If i-punish ang bata, dili dapat physical, verbal or psychological,” Amit added.

Child welfare specialist Emma Patalinghug, who joined the event, said the first and most common reported case of abuse applied on children is neglect at home.

“Kulang sa pagkaon, wa kaeskwela, ug di maayo ang pinuy-anan mostly because of a broken family,” she said.

The second most common is physical and verbal abuse.

“Pagbunal, pagpaso, pagsagpa, ug pagpatid, mao lang na example sa physical abuse. Ug verbal, kanang ingnaon ka nga ‘buang man diay kang bataa ka’ or ‘bogo ka’, ‘bati ka’g nawng’,” she said.

Sexual exploitation, which includes acts of lasciviousness, comes as third most common abuse of children, Patalinghug said.

In a report presented before the crowd yesterday by Insp. Catalina Diotay, chief of Women’s and Children Protection Desk of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, statistics showed that cases of abuse on children decreased last year.

Diotay said that 767 cases were reported in CPPO, 248 in the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, 163 in the Cebu City Police Office and 121 in the Mandaue City Police Office in 2009.

In 2010, the figures went down to 212 under CPPO, 162 under CCPO, 119, under MCPO, and 73 under LLCPO.

Nevertheless, the CLB sees the need to intensify their advocacy on child protection by launching the movement, with the current technological advances and growing cases of child exploitation.

For the past 14 years, CLB has been working to protect children. They have organized the Child Protection Units in nine areas in Cebu and being involved in different networks and councils to protect children.

“But these efforts may not be enough,” they said.

“Pun-an pa gyud nga naa’y mga cyberpornography nga reports ug access sa Internet sa children,” Patalinghug said.

In case abused, Diotay encouraged the children themselves to report to the police, instead of fearing them.

Amit said they are celebrating Children’s Month on October by holding a photo exhibit and a concert, which is just among their activities lined up under CPM.

Majority of those who attended in the activity were elementary and high school students, most of whom are members of civic organizations in their respective communities. They held a parade from Fuente Osmeña to the City Hall before the forum.

“This is more of prevention. Mag-start ta sa young people para puhon di na nila ingon anaon ang ilang mga anak. Mga tiguwang, mutuo ra siguro na sila kung naa na’y masampolan,” Amit said.

Aside from their advocacies, Amit said they will attend court hearings on cases involving children, like that of Ellah Joy’s case, as their way of support.

Renante, who lost his daughter to suspected cyberpornography criminals last February, encouraged other parents to support the movement.

“Mi-attend ko agi’g suporta sa advocacy sa CLB labi na ko nga usa sa mga biktima sa pagpangubusar sa mga bata. Unta ubang ginikanan maengganyo sad na musoporta ani,” he said. —/BRP (FREEMAN)