“By providing compensation, we will be able to help the [child]-victims to address their medical, psychological, educational, and social needs, among others. It also serves as a symbol that our society is one with child-victims in their journey to overcome the hardships that they endured.”
This was highlighted in the message of DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, which was delivered by Undersecretary Monina Josefina Romualdez of the DSWD’s Operations Group, during the signing on Tuesday (July 15) of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Claims (BOC) for the creation of a compensation referral system for child-victims under the care of the DSWD.
According to the DSWD chief, giving compensation for child-victims is a crucial step for them to access restorative justice.
“As duty-bearers, it is our responsibility to ensure that child victims will receive all the necessary interventions that they need toward healing, recovery, and reintegration,” Secretary Gatchalian pointed out in his message.
Under the signed agreement, the DSWD will be able to assist and refer child-victims from the agency’s residential care facilities (RCFs) to the DOJ’s Victim Compensation Program (VCP).
The VCP aims to provide a certain amount of monetary compensation to victims of violent crimes with the objective of recompensing to a certain extent, the damage to the lives of those who suffered from lawlessness and grave injustice.
The DOJ-BOC, on the other hand, will evaluate and process the requests for claims by the DSWD, as well as endorse cases to the DSWD that fall outside the scope of Republic Act No. 7309 (An Act Creating a Board of Claims under the Department of Justice for Victims of Unjust Imprisonment or Detention and Victims of Violent Crimes and for other purposes).
The agreement covers child victims of rape, torture, enforced and involuntary disappearance, trafficking in persons, and online sexual abuse and exploitation (OSAEC), among others.
The MOA was signed by Undersecretary Romualdez and DOJ Undersecretary Deo Marco of the Board of Claims.
Also present to witness the momentous event were Undersecretary Adonis Sulit of the DSWD Policy and Plans Group (PPG), Asst. Secretary Ada Colico of the DSWD’s Protective Programs, Senior Deputy State Prosecutor and BOC Chairperson Miguel Gudio, Jr., and Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon. (AKDL)