Bill against domestic violence pushed

Some 100 members of various militant women’s groups held an indignation rally at the Commission on Human Rights Office (CHRO) in Quezon City yesterday to denounce the tragic death of former actress Ma. Teresa Carlson and to push for the passage of a legislation that will make violence against women in the family, such as spousal abuse, a criminal act.

Speaking before the placard-carrying crowd, Dr. Sylvia Estrada-Claudio, Likhaan board member, assailed Congress for failing to act on the Anti-Abuse of Women in Intimate Relationships (AWIR).

"We are all responsible for Teresa’s death. We could have prevented it had we done something about her problem. Pero ang unang dapat singilin dito ay ang Kongreso (But the first to be blamed must be Congress)," Claudio said.

Nevertheless, BAYAN Muna party-list Representative Liza Maza, who attended the rally, assured the women’s groups that she would urge her colleagues in the 12th Congress to make the bill "urgent and important."

Maza, who called domestic violence a "silent crime," said she and Aurora Rep. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo had re-filed the Anti-AWIR bill even before Carlson leapt to her death last week.

"Teresa’s death should serve as a guidepost for legislators to enact a law that would address the widespread problem of domestic violence," Maza said in an interview.

The Anti-AWIR bill states that domestic violence that would be considered "graver" than the common crime. Moreover, anyone with the knowledge of the crime can file a case against the abuser, she explained.

"We expect rough sailing for the passage of the bill given the traditional thinking that wife battering is considered by society as a private matter," Maza said.

In 1996, the 39-year-old Carlson had sought the help of the women’s group Kalakasan and revealed that she was being physically abused by her husband, former Ilocos Norte Governor Rudy Farinas, who also later held a seat in Congress.

But Kalakasan said it could only do so much as there were no laws that could protect Carlson, and the former TV and movie actress herself later recanted her story, a classic sign of "the battered wife syndrome."

Aida Santos of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women said the Anti-AWIR bill, drafted by the women’s group Sibol, is facing the fate of the Anti-Rape Law, which took nine years for Congress to enact.

Many members of women’s groups, including Santos, could only surmise that legislators are sitting on the bill because "many of them are not exactly upright, or models in intimate relationships."

They further noted that Fariñas’ presence in Congress further derailed the chances of the passage of the bill.

Meanwhile, Commission on Human Rights Chair Aurora Navarrete-Recina said the CHR supports the women’s groups in its urgent call for Congress to pass the Anti-AWIR bill.

"The CHR can drumbeat (the call) or ask Congress to initiate filing a bill protecting women’s rights," Recina said.

In a meeting with representatives of the protesting groups, Recina and she advised to "give (the CHR) witnesses who will give us enough bullets" before the commission launches an investigation into the death of Carlson.

Recina, who was already CHR chair when Carlson first revealed her ordeal, said the commission "did its best" to help Carlson.

Recina said the CHR conducted a moto propio investigation into the actress’ claims but the efforts "died a natural death" for lack of witnesses. Moreover, Recina said Carlson herself refused to cooperate and claimed that she (Carlson) had patched things up with Fariñas.

Asked why Carlson backed down on her accusations against her husband, Recinas could only say the former actress was "scared."

Recinas gave the assurance that the commission will not be intimidate by Fariñas’ stature in society, should the CHR initiate an investigation. "Granted that he is a powerful man, we will not be influenced by anybody."

Still, she added, Fariñas will be accorded due process in any investigation. "It takes strong people to make the investigation prosper. Unfortunately, witnesses are scared. I think there should be more people who should come out in the open," Recinas said.