DSWD agency mulling steps after anti-palo bill veto

MANILA, Philippines — The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is at a loss on its next course of action following President Duterte’s veto of the bill banning corporal punishment.

Mitzi Cajayon-Uy, CWC executive director, admitted they are still mulling their position on the issue, especially in view of the council’s previous stand that was in full support for the passage of the bill and its signing into law by the President.

“We support it because we are for positive discipline,” Uy said.

Uy added that the anti-corporal punishment bill was also in line with the 1st Philippine Plan of Action to End Violence Against Children, which the DSWD, particularly the CWC itself, put together in partnership with the United National Children’s Fund and which it launched with fanfare last May.

“We’re still looking at what we can come up with,” Uy said. “As of now, I could not yet give you a comment or an official position.”

The bill, which promotes positive and non-violent discipline and prohibited both physical and non-physical violence as a form of punishment, has been rejected by Duterte, who called it overly sweeping.

In his veto message, the President said countless children have been raised to become law-abiding citizens because of self-restrained corporal punishment.

He also argued that the bill would allow the government to breach the privacy of Filipino families.