Malaybalay to set up women hotline

ATTY. ROSOS

Rising reports of incidents of alleged violence against women has prompted the Sangguniang Panlungsod to push for the establishment of a special emergency hotline for women and children.

Sponsored by Hon. Mya Analene D. Rosos, the Resolution, which requested City Mayor Ignacio W. Zubiri to provide for the hotline numbers, will cater tales of crises and hostilities against women who need immediate response by authorities.

Atty. Rosos, who chairs the Committee on Women, Children and Family of the city council, confirmed that the idea of setting up the hotline stemmed from instances when certain women, who claimed to be threatened by husbands or other individuals, called her personally for help.

“It is deemed necessary to provide for special emergency hotline numbers on which witnesses and victims of violence against women and children may report the incidents through,” said the Rosos resolution.

Accordingly, the said hotline will complement the existing 117 Call Center of Malaybalay and other emergency response groups in the city and neighboring municipalities.

“The special hotline numbers shall focus on reports on violence against women and children, and that the special hotline shall serve as avenue to spur quick response to crises and other hostilities, particularly aggressions against women,” asserted Atty. Rosos.

It was learned that the local government unit, upon approval of Mayor Zubiri, will handle the maintenance, personnel and operators of the special emergency hotline numbers, and that the Committee of Women, Children and Family of the Sangguniang Panlungsod will initiate the initial training of the operators and personnel.

It was also learned that the hotline will utilize short messaging and mobile communication systems readily provided Smart Communications and Globe Telecom. At presstime, the exact cellphone number combinations are yet to be determined but a short list of possible combinations for the two mobile networks are now being prepared.

Atty. Mya Rosos, who is strongly advocating women and children rights, added that plans are drawn for enhancing the services of the women hotline to include counseling and support for aggrieved women and children in Malaybalay.