Bawal Bastos: Documenting Violations of the Safe Spaces Act
What is the Safe Spaces Act
Safe Spaces Act or the “Bawal Bastos'' Law (Republic Act 11313) was signed on April 17, 2019. It expanded the scope of Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995 (Republic Act 7877) by covering acts of gender-based sexual harassment in public and online spaces as well as sexual harassment between peers or co-employees. The law also penalizes catcalling, sexist, misogynistic, homophobic, and transphobic remarks and slurs as punishable acts of gender-based sexual harassment, thereby providing strengthened protection for women as well as members of the LGBTQI community.
Read more here: Republic Act 11313: Safe Spaces Act
About the Bawal Bastos Reporting Portal
As Gender Ombud, the Commission on Human Rights has developed an additional page to the E-report mo sa Gender Ombud, focusing on violations of the Safe Spaces Act. Through this page, and together with our advocacy partners, the Commission aims to render visible violations of the Safe Spaces Act down to the Barangay level. This page allows you to: (1) report/document violations of Safe Spaces act you have experienced or witnessed, you can choose to remain anonymous in your report; or (2) to report/document and also seek assistance and legal advice. If reports include request for assistance, you will be directed to our GBV Reporting portal page, where additional details will be asked in order for us to respond to your case.
Like our GBV reporting page, in seeking to report in this portal you are hereby granting the CHR the authority to store your personal information in accordance with the Data Privacy Law, and that the same shall be kept confidential except for purposes of documenting instance of Safe Spaces violations or for purposes of referral to services as requested.
In taking time to speak out, to report, and document violations of Safe Spaces Act, whether proceeding to take legal action or not, we are already making gender based sexual harassment (GBSH) violations visible. We are already taking action against GBSH.
Once report is received by the Bawal Bastos portal it shall form part of our documentation of cases of GBSH. Should the report also request for further assistance, and subsequent report to the GBV portal is made, we will be contacting you within 48 hours regarding your report.
Lastly, as the page is still a pilot launch for the National Capital Region - only barangays from the NCR will be specifically tagged/geolocated to the barangay level. This notwithstanding, reporting can still be made by typing in the specific barangay in the field provided. Expansion of the project envisions covering the 42,046 barangays of the Philippines in the future.
IF YOU ARE IN DANGER, please call these PNP Hotlines for immediate response: PNP WCPC: 177/8532-6690; Aleng Pulis 0919 777 7377; or 911. If not in immediate danger, you may proceed to report.
If you need psychosocial support you may wish to contact Lunas Collective. Open their Facebook page here.
A Message from the Commission
As the Focal Commissioner on Women and LGBTQI, it is my pleasure to present this Handbook on Ending Gender-Based Violence for Women, Girls, and LGBQI. The development of this handbook is part of the fulfillment of our role as Gender Ombud under the Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710), and as part of our GBV Observatory. We know that despite the gains of women’s movement in enacting laws addressing GBV, many forms of GBV, particularly against women, girls, and LGBTQI continue to happen.
In the Philippines, the 2017 National Demographic Health Survey reports that 1 out of 4 married women have experienced violence, it also reports that only 1/3 of those who experience violence seek help. The Commission’s Mapping of GBV Legal Referral Mechanisms last 2019 has documented the continuing gaps in accessing justice in cases of gender-based violence (GBV), the gaps include lack of information and knowledge of the laws, and of protection and referral mechanisms, accessibility of and availability of services, and insensitivity of service providers.
Through this Handbook, which we intend to disseminate widely, we hope to be able to provide information on basic laws addressing GBV. We aim to make information available and to reach out to women, girls, and LGBTQI who may be at risk or survivors of violence and in need of information to access remedies. We wish to send the message that we can break the silence, stop the abuse, and that the Commission, as Gender Ombud, is among the agencies that they can seek guidance and help from. We are one with you in building a world free from all forms of violence and discrimination.
Commissioner Karen Gomez-Dumpit
Focal Commissioner on Women and LGBTQI
Making Safe Spaces Violations visible
| April 2023 | 1 | |
| August 2022 | 1 | |
| December 2021 | 3 | |
| December 2022 | 1 | |
| February 2023 | 1 | |
| January 2023 | 1 | |
| July 2022 | 3 | |
| June 2022 | 2 | |
| May 2022 | 1 | |
| November 2021 | 3 | |
| October 2022 | 2 |
| Stranger (di kilala) | 8 | |
| Acquaintance (kakilala) | 7 | |
| Iba pa | 2 | |
| 1 | ||
| Boss/teacher | 1 |
| Female | 16 | |
| Male | 2 | |
| Prefer not to say | 1 |
| Streets and public spaces (e.g. parks, public terminals, train stations, bus, jeepney, malls etc., religious Institutions) | 11 | |
| Online platform (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok, IG, Youtube etc.) | 4 | |
| Workplace (public and private) | 4 |
| streets | 4 | |
| Any country | 1 | |
| Street | 1 | |
| along marcos hi-way from a jeepney conductor while cycling - instrusive gazing | 1 | |
| Ilang-ilang Street, Brgy. Batasan Hills, Quezon City | 1 | |
| dfdf | 1 | |
| placesadfsdafsadf | 1 | |
| place | 1 | |
| Armor division | 1 | |
| Berea Arts and Sciences High School | 1 | |
| Anonas, Sta Mesa, sa labas ng pup | 1 | |
| Papa Bolo | 1 | |
| SM Megamall A Bus ''Binangona'' transport Corrperative BITCO | 1 | |
| N/A | 1 | |
| Rallye Works | 1 | |
| Taguig City Hall | 1 |
| Barangay Don Manuel, Quezon City | 1 | |
| Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City | 1 | |
| Barangay Tumana, Marikina City | 1 | |
| Barangay Batasan Hills, Quezon City | 1 | |
| Barangay Barangka, Marikina City | 1 | |
| Barangay San Roque, Quezon City | 1 | |
| Barangay Tuktukan, Taguig City | 1 |
| LGBTQIA Commmunity | 7 | |
| Formal Economy Worker (Regular Employment) | 6 | |
| Government employee | 5 | |
| Student | 4 | |
| Contractual Employee | 3 | |
| Elderly/Senior Citizen | 3 | |
| Domestic worker | 2 | |
| Homeless person | 2 | |
| Internally Displaced Person | 2 | |
| Minor | 2 | |
| Person living with HIV | 2 | |
| Rural Women | 2 | |
| Solo parent | 2 | |
| Urban Poor | 2 | |
| Woman with Disability | 2 | |
| Women in armed conflict area | 2 | |
| Women in detention | 2 | |
| Worker in the informal economy | 2 | |
| Migrant worker/former migrant workers | 1 |
| 21 - 30 years old | 8 | |
| 1 - 10 years old | 4 | |
| 31 - 40 years old | 3 | |
| 41 - 50 years old | 2 | |
| 11 - 20 years old | 1 | |
| 51 - 60 years old | 1 |
| Victim survivor (biktima mismo ng pambabastos) | 12 | |
| Bystander/witness/person with knowledge of the GBSH (nakakita o nakakaalam sa nangyaring pambabastos) | 2 | |
| Concerned organization (organisasyon na may alam tungkol sa pambabastos at nais magreport/magdokumento) | 1 | |
| MMDA/ASHE | 1 | |
| Barangay VAW/ASHE Desk | 1 | |
| Safe Spaces partner organizations | 1 | |
| CHR Office (taga CHR na nagdodokumento ng pambabastos) | 1 |
| Not Applicable | 9 | |
| Facebook/Facebook messenger | 5 | |
| 2 | ||
| Tiktok | 2 | |
| Others | 1 |
| Report only and document (i-report lamang at i-dokumento) | 12 | |
| Report and seek assistance (i-report at humingi ng tulong legal, counselling o imbestigasyon) | 7 |
| Cat-calling, wolf-whistling (pagsipol,paghiyaw) | 11 | |
| Other unwanted verbal or physical advances threatening ones sense of personal space and safety (iba pang hindi kaaya-ayang pahayag, pisikal na pagsasamantala na nagbibigay ng takot at banta sa personal na espasyo at kaligtasan ng isang tao) | 8 | |
| Persistent unwanted comments or gestures on a persons | 5 | |
| Groping/unwanted touching and other lewd sexual actions (panghihipo, pang chancing) | 4 | |
| Stalking/cyberstalking/ incessant messaging (paniniktik sa pisikal o online at walang tigil na pagpapadala ng mga mensahe)) | 4 | |
| Request for sexual favors (paghingi ng mga sekswal na pabor) | 4 | |
| Uploading/sharing without consent any form of media (pag-upload, pagbabahagi ng mga larawan at iba pang media content ng walang pagsang-ayon ng may-ari) | 4 | |
| Statements of sexual comments/suggestions, online or offline (mga pahayag o komentaryong malaswa o sekswal) | 3 | |
| Physical, psychological and emotional threats (pisikal, sikolohikal at emosyonal na pananakot) | 3 | |
| Impersonating identities online (panggagaya ng katauhan online) | 3 | |
| Prefer not to say | 3 | |
| Homophobic or transphobic remarks or slurs (pagpapakita sa sakita o sa kilos ng galit, pagkamuhi, pangmamaliit sa mga lesbiana, bakla, bisexual o sa mga transgender women or men) | 2 | |
| Relentless requests for personal details (walang tigil na paghiling sa mga personal na detalye) | 2 | |
| Misogynistic or sexist remarks or comments, online or offline (pagpapakita ng galit o pagkamuhi sa mga kababaihan, pangmamaliit/pagsasantabi sa kakayahan ng mga kababaihan sa pamamagitan ng komentaryo o pahayag online o offline) | 1 |
