In view of the Republic’s gender-based violence (GBV) that is peaking and children that are being used as bargaining tools by perpetrators of violence against women once the victim opens a case, what (a) protection does a protection order that is filed against an alleged perpetrator of GBV provide for children in such a case and (b) rights does the victim have to retain custody of the child until the said court dates;
(2) what is his department doing to assist victims, especially female victims, to avoid alleged perpetrators of GBV from taking their children away as revenge for opening a case against them?