THE Quezon City government is supporting a proposed measure in Congress protecting the elderly from abuse.
The 36-member City Council has passed Resolution 7093 to back House Bill 2989 or “An Act providing to the Elderly against Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation, and Prescribing Penalties for Violation Thereof.”
The resolution said the country “does not have a law that specifically targets elder abuse as a criminal offense because of lack of specific studies relating to crime against senior citizens.”
The resolution, introduced and authored by District 1 Councilor Lena Marie Juico, noted that many elders or senior citizens are being abused or harassed, instead of being respected and taken care of.
“Our elders, who have spent a portion of their existence to make sure ours would be a little bit better, are not in all cases respected and taken care of. There are those who are abused and harassed,” it read.
“The State engages to protect our senior citizens who are more prone to abuse and because of the weaker stage, have less physical and mental agility to defend and provide protection for them,” the proposal added.
House Bill 2989 is authored by Valenzuela City Rep. Wes Gatchalian.
“As the number of older Filipinos grows proportionately in this country, House Bill No. 2989 seeks to provide special protection for senior citizens through the prevention and deterrence of acts inimical to their security and safety,” the city resolution read.
“This act will likewise provide them with legal remedies for immediate protection such as the protection orders that victims may avail of. The government must help our senior citizens claim their rights so they can lead dignified and secured lives,” it added.