DSWD seeks NBI help to remove viral post of PWD vs Sotto
THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is now coordinating with the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) Cybercrime Division and Facebook Philippines to take down the viral post on a woman with a mental health condition who was made to discredit Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto in a video.
“Nakikipag-ugnayan na kami ngayon sa NBI Cybercrime Division para matukoy kung sino yung nag-upload at makikipag-ugnayan na kami sa Facebook para i-bring down yung post. Kasi tuloy-tuloy eh, maraming nanunuod, so iyon ang request ng biktima at ng pamilya na maibaba iyon,” Secretary Rex Gatchalian said in a radio interview.
Gatchalian said the DSWD is currently prioritizing the well-being of the woman with psychosocial disability through the provision of psychosocial interventions and financial assistance to help her family meet her needs.
“Inuna muna natin tingnan yung kalagayan ng ating biktima kasi syempre may psychological trauma dahil hiyang-hiya siya, kinakantyawan na sya,” he said.
The DSWD fact-finding team led by Asst. Secretary Elaine Fallarcuna of the International Affairs, and Attached and Supervised Agencies (IAASA) is making a follow up assessment with the victim and her family later today.
Should the family decide to file a complaint against the perpetrators, the agency will provide legal assistance, Gatchalian added.
Earlier, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Monday ordered an agency 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 Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto.
“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,” Gatchalian said.
In a viral video uploaded on the Journal Pasig Facebook page, a 57-year-old woman with psychological disability said that she will no longer vote for the incumbent as she has yet to receive any form of assistance.
The woman’s niece has decried the malicious video, saying 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.
She said her daughter has been distressed since the video was uploaded.
Gatchalian pointed out that using persons with disabilities for political ends may be a violation of Republic Act (RA) 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.
“Respeto, proteksyon, at pagkalinga, hindi pagsasamantala para sa pulitika ang kailangan ng ating mga PWDs (Our PWDs need respect, protection, and care, not exploitation for political gain),” he added. With PNA
