Philippine Alliance of Women With Disabilities deaf, including deaf women and children. Even where there may be occasional awareness to provide sign language interpreting, the police, office of the Prosecutor, and trial courts rely completely on civil society for the provision of these services. In the few instances that this accessibility is provided, it is characterized by erratic and bureaucratic service coordination, and unreliable compensation of sign language interpreters (if at all). National plans to establish an interpreting system that the State committed itself to over a decade ago, remain absent24. 2. The decades-long absence of policy in the Department of Justice on accessibility for persons with disabilities, particularly women with disabilities victims of violence, recently suffered another setback because the Department Secretary opted to run for the Senate in the May 2016 election. Thus, dialogue gains with her when she was then Department Secretary are virtually lost as a new administration begins in July 2016. Of the total of 346+ cases involving deaf parties documented by civil society from 2006-201225, there are now an additional 81 cases26. Complaints on VAW (numbering 168 up to 2012), comprise half of the 81 new cases from 2013-201627. 3. The Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009 (Republic Act 9775), and the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act of 2003 (Republic Act 7610) contain provisions for female minors or girls and women who are “unable to fully take care of themselves or protect themselves from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation or discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition.”28 Yet even in Metro Manila, noted situations of pornography of deaf female adolescents, or female adolescents with mobility disabilities (perpetrated by devotees) are not prosecuted or sanctioned.29 Recommendation for Violence against Women: Following General Recommendations No. 12 and 19, immediately adopt and exercise due diligence in the prevention, investigation, sanction and provision of legal remedies for all forms of violence committed against women, particularly women and girls with disabilities. Ensure that all procedures in access to justice and support services for victims of violence, are accessible and inclusive of women and girls with disabilities. On Prostitution Information on recent developments Clusters of Deaf sex workers have been reported in Metro Manila, Pampanga (in the red light district areas of the former US military bases), and Southern Luzon, in the last few years. This May, another cluster has been reported by NGOs in Northern Mindanao. The deaf sex workers became visible because they were trying to access HIV / AIDS services but were unable to because of barriers in communication. 24 National Plan of Action for the Philippine Decade for Persons with Disabilities (2003-2012) formulated by the (then) National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (now the National Council on Disability Affairs), committed in 2007 to establish a system for sign language interpreting. After eight years, to date, even with the conclusion of the second Decade (and now an ongoing third Decade for Persons with Disabilities) no such State system of standards or dispatch exists at all. 25 Access to Justice. Case Monitoring by the Philippine Deaf Resource Center (2006-2012). http://www.phildeafres.org/files/PDRC_Case_Monitoring_2006-2012.pdf 26 PDRC / Deaf Resources Philippines case notes 2016. 27 PDRC / Deaf Resources Philippines case notes, 2013-2016. 28 29 Study on ICT, VAW and Sexuality: A Policy Advocacy. Women’s Legal and Human Rights Bureau. Personal communication. Philippine Deaf Resource Center. 2011. 6