The Kean Gabriel Hotline, which celebrated its 7th Anniversary on October 27, 2023, seeks to strengthen the advocacy against child abuse by information dissemination about children’s rights in schools and communities.
Kean Gabriel Hotline and Quick Response Team for Children’s Concern Center Manager Glenda Espada, RSW on Monday shared with Madayaw Davao the plans of the Hotline that receives 24/7 reports of alleged child abuse over the years that led to rescue and referral of abused children for their protection
Espada said that by next year, they plan to expand aside from receiving calls, surveillance, and rescue.
“By next year, nagaplano mi nga mag conduct og school to school advocacy and then mubaba mi didto sa ground, sa community, and then basin maka coordinate mi sa atoang barangay kapitan nga maka-advocate mi didto sa Purok para mapasundayag nato, mapahibalo nato ang atong katawhan sa atong protection of children and then mapahibalo nato ang mga bata unsa ang ilang katungod ug unsa pud ang ilang responsibilidad. Even ang parent matudluan pud nato sila maging responsible parents, unsa gyud ang pagkaginikanan (By the next year we are planning to conduct a school-to-school advocacy drive and we will go down to the ground, to the community and then maybe we can also coordinate with the barangay so we can go to the Puroks to showcase and let the people know about the protection for children, and to also inform the children about their rights and their responsibilities. Even the parents will be taught how to be responsible),” Espada said.
Espada said that the Kean Gabriel Hotline (0908-818-4444) was established in honor of 3-year-old Kean Gabriel Agustin, who died due to physical abuse in 2016.
“Mao ni nga namugna ang atong Kean Gabriel hotline aron hatagan ug pagtagad ang atoang mga bata nga pu-pwedeng biktima or biktima sa pagpang-abuso. Mao na ang atoang Kean Gabriel Hotline naga-operate ni siya 24/7 para maka-respond sa nagkalain laing pagpangabuso diin naa ta’y call takers naa’y social workers nga mao’y muadto sa area nga mu-validate sa area if needed nga i-rescue nato and then ma temporary i-shelter ang bata. Kung kinahanglan magfile og kaso naga assist ta para ma file ang kaso para sa atong kabatan-onan (The Kean Gabriel Hotline was created to give attention to children who might become victims of abuse. This is also the reason why our Kean Gabriel Hotline operates 24/7 to respond to different kinds of abuse where we have call takers and social workers who go to the area to validate if a rescue is needed and provide temporary shelter for the children, and if filing a case is needed we also assist them),” Espada said.
From 2016 to June 2023, the Kean Gabriel Hotline recorded 1,305 validated cases of child abuse, 783 of which were physical abuse, 142 were of neglect, 132 were of rape, 118 were of child custody, 51 acts of lasciviousness, 34 were verbal abuse, 22 child labor, 21 child abandonment, one case of emotional abuse, and one case of sexual harassment.
The services extended through the Kean Gabriel Hotline from its inception in 2016 up to June 2023 reached 1,990 Of this number, 634 are validated report/rescue/[provision of] temporary shelter, 561 are advise giving, 485 are endorsements to district/barangay case conferences, 215 are client discharged to the family, and 95 are cases referred to the institution.
Espada urged Dabawenyos in communities, families, schools, and even churches to cooperate and combat child abuse.
“Kung naa silay nakita or na observe nga mga bata nga muduol sa atoa para ma-rescue or matagad unsa ang ilang panginahanglanon, anytime pwede sila mutawag sa 0908818444 para matabangan nato ma prebentahan nato nga dili na mausab ang nahitabo kay Kean Gabriel (Should they see or observe cases [of abuse] of children, they should come to us for help and they can call 0908818444 to prevent what happened to Kean Gabriel),” Espada said.
Espada said that physical abuse remains the highest number of recorded cases, and some of these reports require time to validate because some are prank calls. CIO
