Autism Society Philippines (ASP) attended the launching of the Sub Committee on Access to Justice and Anti Discrimination last 18 September 2012 at the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) Office in Quezon City. ASP Executive Director Ranil Sorongon and Marivic Ramos from ASP Laguna Chapter were among the more than one hundred guests coming from persons with disabilities organizations, non government organizations, government agencies and parent support groups.
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| Participants and PWDs attending NCDA Launch |
Secretary Corazon Soliman of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) welcomed the participants. She was joined by NCDA Executive Director Carmen Zubiaga and Deputy Executive Director Mateo Lee, Jr.
The creation of the sub committee was the council’s response to demand for access to the justice system for persons with disabilities and to discrimination they experience. It is also a step to comply with Article 5 (Equality and Non Discrimination) and Article 13 (Access to Justice) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) which the Philippines ratified in 2008.
The new sub committee is composed of representatives from the Department of Justice (DOJ), Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Philippine National Police (PNP), Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) and various PWD organizations. It is an addition to the different sub-committees under NCDA. ASP is a member of the Sub-Committee on Education and the Sub-Committee on Health.
After the launching, a consultative meeting and dialogue with the Public Attorneys Office (PAO), an office under the Department of Justice followed. PAO lawyer Florence de Belen gave a short orientation on the process of filing a case and other basic information about their office. She was joined by two other lawyers, Demiter Huerta and Maria Agatha Mijares during the dialogue.
The PWD sector is the most marginalized among the vulnerable sectors of society and is most often denied their human rights. With the help of “PWD-friendly" public attorneys, our sector is hopeful that access to justice will become a reality.
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