Dahino bats for more family courts in CdeO

COUNCILOR Edna M. Dahino, chair of the City Council committee on women and family relations, last week expressed her gratitude to all the members of the City Council for passing a resolution earnestly requesting the Supreme Court of the Philippines thru Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez to provide three more family courts at the Municipal Trial Courts in Cities (MTCC) of Cagayan de Oro City.

During the regular session of the 18th City Council presided over by Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin V. Uy, Councilor Dahino reported that last May 29, 2018 the City Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking and Violence Against Women and their Children (CIACAT-VAWC) with other partner agencies and non-government organizations had a coordination meeting to establish the city’s Integrated VAWC Referral System and Directory. The meeting was presided over by Councilor Dahino, The Power learned.

A Referral System at the local government level is aimed to have an integrated and coordinated community response to victims of violence against women and their children. Moreover, it is also considered as a local directory service providers and partners established so that in times of crisis, women victims or their children will know where to seek help and where to find the nearest from their location, Councilor Dahino reported.

During the meeting, the councilor said she expressed frustration over the slow movements and the significant delay of filed cases due to the fact that the current family courts are not enough to cope with the huge volume of cases filed.

“The CIACAT-VAWC Council believes that it is very important that the vulnerable women and children exposed to any form of abuse and violence needing protection should have immediate access to courts,” Dahino stressed. (JAO)