Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Monday (April 7) ordered an agency team to conduct a fact-finding on the alleged use of a mentally-challenged female person who was forced to be in a video that is against Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto.

“We have dispatched a fact-finding team to look into the reported malicious exploitation of a mentally-challenged person who was put on video and forced to say negative things against the incumbent mayor. And if proven true, the DSWD will take the lead in filing the case against those behind the video,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

The DSWD chief pointed out that using persons with disabilities for political ends may be a violation of Republic Act No. 7610 or the “Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.”

“We will treat that as exploitation and abuse of the person with disability and if proven true, we will see to it that the Department takes the lead in filing appropriate charges against the people behind this allegation,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

The DSWD chief added: “Once again, the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable should not be exploited for the political gains of any candidate. As it is, our people with disabilities endure hardships day in and day out — they should be protected and aided, not abused.”

R.A. 7610 provides comprehensive measures to protect children from all forms of abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation, and discrimination, including severe penalties for offenders and programs for prevention and treatment.

Under the R.A. 7610, the term “children” includes minors as well as adults 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.”

R.A. 7610 also mandates national government agencies to protect minors and those with special needs from any form of abuse, including “cruelty or exploitation” and “other conditions prejudicial to the child’s development.”

In a now-viral video uploaded on the Journal Pasig Facebook page, a 57-year old woman who has been diagnosed with psychological disability said that she will no longer vote for Sotto as she has yet to receive any form of assistance from the incumbent mayor.

When asked if she would still vote for Sotto in the upcoming elections, the mentally-challenged woman answered in the negative and said that she would vote for the opposition candidate in Pasig City’s mayoralty race.

The person with disability’s niece has decried the malicious video saying that her aunt simply went to get free rice from a candidate in a neighboring barangay, but was told that she needed to record a video before she could leave.

Even the mother of the mentally-challenged woman was dismayed because her daughter has been distressed since the video was uploaded.#

Tagalog

Fact-finding team ng DSWD, mag-uusisa sa paggamit ng mentally-challenged person sa local politics ng Pasig

Magpapadala ng fact finding team si Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian upang tignan ang posibleng paglabag kaugnay sa umanoy paggamit ng isang mentally-challenged female person na kumuha ng video laban sa local candidate na si Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto.

“We have dispatched a fact-finding team to look into the reported malicious exploitation of a mentally-challenged person who was put on video and forced to say negative things against the incumbent mayor. And if proven true, the DSWD will take the lead in filing the case against those behind the video,” ayon kay Secretary Gatchalian.

Ipinaliwanag ng DSWD chief na ang paggamit sa isang taong may kapansanan o persons with disabilities para sa pampulitikal na intensyon ay maituturing na paglabag sa Republic Act No. 7610 o ang “Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.”

Dagdag ni Secretary Gatchalian, “We will treat that as exploitation and abuse of the person with disability and if proven true, we will see to it that the Department takes the lead in filing appropriate charges against the people behind this allegation.”

Sinabi pa niya, “Once again, the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable should not be exploited for the political gains of any candidate. As it is, our people with disabilities endure hardships day in and day out — they should be protected and aided, not abused.”

Ang R.A. 7610 ay isang komprehensibong hakbang upang mabigyan ng proteksyon ang mga kabataan laban sa lahat ng anyo ng panga-abuso, kapabayaan, pananakit, exploitation, at diskriminasyon.

Sa ilalim ng R.A. 7610, ang term na “children” ay kinabibilangan ng mga menor de edad at mga nakatatanda na walang kakayanan na protektahan ang kanilang mga sarili laban sa panga-abuso, neglect, cruelty, exploitation o discrimination dahil sa kanilang physical o mental disability.

Kabilang din sa mandato ng R.A. 7610 ang lahat ng national government agencies na magbigay ng proteksyon sa mga menor de edad na may special needs laban sa panga-abuso.

Sa isang viral video na naka-upload sa Journal Pasig Facebook page, isang 57anyos na babae na nasuring may psychological disability ang umanoy nagsabing hindi na iboboto si Sotto dahilan sa umanoy wala itong natatanggap na anumang tulong mula sa incumbent mayor.

Nang tanungin kung muli pa ba nitong iboboto si Sotto sa darating na halalan, sinabi umano ng mentally-challenged woman na hindi na nito iboboto si Sotto at sa halip ay ang kalaban na lamang nito ang kanyang susuportahan.

Agad namang nagreklamo ang pamangkin ng nasabing babae kung saan sinabi nitong nagpunta lamang ang kanyang tiyahin sa isang kandidato na nasa kalapit na barangay upang humingi ng pagkain subalit sinabihan umano ang matanda na kailangan nitong mag-record ng video bago umuwi.#