Gang-rape of Maguindanao volunteer-nurse condemned

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) yesterday demanded justice for a 21-year-old volunteer-nurse who was gang-raped near a municipal hospital in Maguindanao recently.

PNA president Dr. Teresita Barcelo said the incident was highly deplorable, especially since the victim, out of patriotism and compassion, had only volunteered to serve in South Upi town in Maguindanao but ended up being abused.

“She is only getting a stipend for her work. The area is remote but she still decided to serve. The idealism is there and this barbaric act should not be tolerated. It’s a violation of her rights as a person and as a woman and her profession,” Barcelo told The STAR.

The Professional Regulation Commission’s Board of Nursing (BON), for its part, said the incident was “condemnable to the highest degree.”

“We would want nothing less than justice for the victim, her family and the very spirit for which nurses stood for in the decade-old caring services,” said BON member Marco Sto. Tomas.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima ordered the National Bureau of Investigation yesterday to step into the case.

The victim is a volunteer-nurse under the Nurses Assigned in Rural Areas (NARS) program of the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), PRC and PNA.

So far, a total of 10,420 nurses have already been dispatched to far-flung areas across the country for a six-month tour of duty. The victim, who hails from Cotobato, was assigned to South Upi town two months ago.

Police have arrested six suspects but a manhunt is still on for other suspects.

The PNA expressed fear that nothing would happen in the case since some of the suspects belong to “influential families” in Maguindanao.

Barcelo said though that none of the NARS volunteers have expressed desire to withdraw from the program.

“Like a good soldiers, we don’t easily back out… But when our nurses decide to withdraw, we are not the losers but those in the remote communities which are hardly served (by medical professionals),” she added.

The PNA will meet with the DOH, DOLE, PRC and law enforcement agencies to seek a re-evaluation of security in areas where NARS volunteers are being deployed to prevent a repeat of the incident. – With Edu Punay and Mayen Jaymalin