Daiana a victim of violence? DSWD offers help

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is looking for Brazilian actress-model Daiana Menezes to help her deal with supposed problems involving violence against women, following distress signals she sent through social media.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said that social workers would talk to Menezes to ascertain how they could help her.

“We’re ready to help her but we don’t know where she is. It would be good if she would get in touch with us so we’ll know how we can help her,” Soliman said.

Menezes’ woes are said to be related to her relationship with and supposed engagement to former Cagayan de Oro Rep. Benjo Benaldo, who lost in his re-election bid in last May’s elections.

Soliman said that aside from the buzz that Menezes had generated on Twitter, the actress had directly tweeted the DSWD and Soliman herself, calling for help.

“She tweeted us directly. And she tweeted my account,” Soliman added.

Faced with silence from Menezes, Soliman said that the DSWD can only monitor the tweets of the Brazilian actress.

“We’re very concerned. She’s not from the Philippines. She might not be able to help herself,” Soliman added.

Soliman urged Menezes’ friends to relay to the DSWD the messages of the actress so they could reach her.

Menezes has taken to Twitter to make public apparent relationship problems in the past several days.

In one of her tweets, she reportedly issued statements calling for “no to violence against women.”

Soliman said that the DSWD was ready to rush assistance to any woman that has fallen victim to violence of any kind.

“We’re ready to help all women,” Soliman said.

She said that the DSWD has already provided assistance or rescued 9,408 violence against women victims, ranging from sexual abuse and involuntary prostitution, to emotional abuse, rape, and incest, in the first quarter of the year. Of the 9,408 cases, she said that 3,582 were in Metro Manila.

Gabriela women’s party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan also offered assistance to Menezes.

Ilagan, however, said Menezes should make her own decision on whether or not to seek help from women’s groups.

“If she would seek our help, we will assist her,” Ilagan said in Filipino. “But this move should be her own decision.”

“We’re open to helping her but she should also be open to the process that we need to study the case and that she should undergo counseling so we do the right thing,” she said.

Ilagan said Gabriela would look at the nature of the alleged abuse and the background of the purported abuser, who Menezes has not yet named.

“Counseling is important for the victim so that she will have the strength to address the matter,” she said.

Menezes has reportedly posted cryptic messages on anti-violence against women like “no to domestic violence” and “no to rape,” and a photo of her arm with wounds on a social networking site. – With Paolo Romero