THE measure punishing people who discriminate against persons with disabilities (PWDs) lack “teeth” because the government cannot file cases on behalf of victims, an official from the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) told the Senate on Monday.
Glenda D. Relova, executive director of the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), said cases against perpetrators of discrimination have been filed at the barangay level but only one example progressed to the courts.
“Under the current law, only the aggrieved party can have a reason to file a case, or [in other words] we, in the NCDA, do not have motu proprio (on its own initiative) powers to file a case,” Ms. Relova said at a Senate hearing.
This was in response to Senator Erwin T. Tulfo, who said laws need proper implementation to effectively protect PWDs. The senator said he plans to file a measure which will institute fines and prison time for those caught verbally or physically bullying PWDs, indigenous peoples, and senior citizens.
The proposed measure would add to Republic Act No. 7277 or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons by including IPs and senior citizens, he said.
This followed a podcast host Tito P’s joke that Kristina Bernadette “Kris” C. Aquino’s son, Joshua Aquino-Salvador, a person on the autism spectrum, is “walang kwenta (useless)” when compared with his brother, James Carlos “Bimby” Aquino Yap, Jr.
“This incident underscores the need not only for responsible public discourse, but also for the effective implementation of laws that protect PWDs,” he said. — Francessca S. Abalos