MANILA, Philippines — Kabataan Party-list has expelled the accused perpetrator of gender-based violence from its organization, emphasizing that it condemns all forms of sexual abuse.
In a statement on Saturday, the Kabataan Party-list said that its National Executive Committee (NEC), through its Investigation Team, found a sufficient cause to hold the perpetrator accountable for a conduct that is unbecoming of being the organization’s member.
It added that it found that the member violated the organization’s standards of upholding “human dignity, political conduct, and collective discipline.”
“Kabataan Partylist affirms its commitment to justice, accountability, and care in light of a concluded sexual misconduct case involving one of our own. The perpetrator has been expelled, and concrete actions have been taken to support the survivor and improve our systems,” the organization said.
READ: Alleged rape of Kabataan party-list member being probed internally
The party-list noted that the two parties involved are unnamed in its public statement as it is a private matter of the organization and it upholds data privacy and integrity of organizational processes.
Julius Cantiga, the party’s national president, last Thursday said that the alleged rape perpetrated by a member was already being investigated internally. A woman from the party-list made series of social media posts calling out the organization for not attending to her concerns about the sexual abuse of one of its members.
Cantiga also said that the organization took note of the call for accountability and the people were alarmed and concerned about the viral post.
Cantiga said that the member, who is not a part of the NEC, was initially put on preventive suspension “to ensure the integrity of the investigation and welfare of the members.”
The organization noted that the preventive suspension “was not the final disciplinary penalty for the incident nor was it the final resolution to the case.”
Determine sufficient cause
It added that while the organization cannot pronounce guilt or label any act as a crime, it “can determine sufficient cause, make decisions regarding one’s organizational program and/or membership status, and recommend appropriate legal or extrajudicial remedies.”
READ: Kabataan Party-list to alleged rape victim: We’ll help you sue abusers
Further, the party-list said that it stands with the member who came forward, emphasizing that it will hold the perpetrator accountable for their actions.
“The organization continues to extend assistance to the survivor and remains resolute in supporting the pursuit of further legal remedies as desired by the survivor beyond the organization’s jurisdiction,” it noted.
It also apologized for the “shortcomings,” noting that it will review its policies and practices with their chapters and members.
“These include faster and more transparent disciplinary timelines, clearer survivor-centered processes and trauma protocols, and better safeguards our survivor support systems and are resolved in rolling out mandatory gender sensitivity and consent training across all levels of the organization,” it added.
Lastly, the organization committed to address feedback on the concern, emphasizing that “building safer and more accountable organizations requires collective effort.”/mr