The1st Set of Panelist
starts at 10:27 AM
Summary of the Panelist Discussions
❖ Teresa B. Aya, President, Brgy. Buhangin Women’s Organization shared her
experienced with a VAW victim who have a problem, Ma‟am Teresa tried to help the
victim many times to get her out from the situation she is in, even if the service provider
is willing and eager to help and knowing that the victim is a minor, the inhumane
experience she has gone through, the illegal doings, how disrespectful it is and though the
victim is being provided by material things she is still being abused by two perpetrators
and Ms. Aya cannot do anything if the victim is okay with her situation and does not even
want to get out.
❖ Judith Conales, representative of Gabriela National Women’s Alliance Caraga
shared the goal, practices and duties performed of their office, then she added that it‟s
time to stand and end the violence, torture and abuse against women. Gabriella already
encountered a lot of cases that includes financial problem and being just a self-reliant
organization there are lot of limitations in their services. She also said that there are still
women who can‟t stand for their selves even if there is already a law that penalizes any
Violence against women and their children that can already be seen in television
programs, can be read in the articles and heard in radio drama‟s they can‟t stand for their
selves yet for they lacked determination that even if they do make a file every time they
were abused but they are not determined enough to continue. The Gabriella Organization
passes their assisted VAW victims to PAO, some made a file but then they would not
continue in the end. There are cases with similar problems such as those wives that were
abused by their husbands and were advised to think over about the case that is about to be
file and get back later but little did the person know who assisted the victim, the client
already decided to return and live again with the husband. She continued that one of the
reasons why the wives were abused and can‟t continue to make a file is because of
financial problem. She repeated that the summit was a great help to achieve the real
meaning of women being free from violence, discrimination, torture and abuse.
❖ Maria Theresa Neri, Chief Investigator, CHR Caraga agreed that all things that Mrs.
Judith Conales said were true and really did happen and continued that the CHR held a
lot of different cases with different conditions of the VAW victims. She cited three cases
received by the CHR. She started with intersectionality, a case without a complainant, a
minor with speaking disability that was raped and killed, followed by a story wherein
justice was not served and then she ended with a successful one.
Interactions between the Panelist and Participants
starts at 11:27 AM
Summary of the Interactions between the panelist and participants
❖ A Police Officer, one of the participants reacted to the experience/story of the 1st
panelist, she advised that Ma‟am Teresa must make a report to the police so that the two
perpetrators be put in jail. They should not consider the case okay even if the victim is
okay and already accepted the situation she is in because the victim is still a minor and
still do not know yet what is really happening. The police officer added that the victim
needs counselling and still must be guided.
❖ An Attorney also reacted to the experience/story of the 1 st panelist, according to him to
all the stories that shared hers is the most disturbing one because the victim is being held
as sex slave and that there are already violations that had happened and the perpetrators
providing material things is a psychological manipulation to the victim. He said that they
should not stop and be vigilant about the case, as a society, they should be protecting the