Roderick Osis
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While overall domestic violence cases in the Cordillera Administrative Region dropped over a three-year period, psychological abuse remains a challenge, stagnant and deeply entrenched in local households, law enforcement officials said Tuesday.
During a regional forum on health and demographic indicators, Police Lt. Col. Nancy May S. Rafael, chief of the Regional Women and Children Protection Desk, revealed that overall domestic violence cases tracked by the Police Regional Office Cordillera decreased from 165 in 2022 to 145 in 2025.
Police records also shpw that physical abuse reports fell from 130 to 112, and sexual violence cases declined from three to one. However, recorded incidents of psychological violence remained completely unchanged, flatlining at 32 cases in both 2022 and 2025.
Rafael said the statistics highlight the complex nature of emotional and mental mistreatment, noting that unlike physical violence, psychological abuse is often hidden, difficult to detect and underreported.
To address these lingering trends, regional police have deployed a localized initiative called “Oplan Tagapagpatupad.”
The program targets crime prevention at the municipal and provincial levels through grassroots efforts, which include house-to-house visitations, community town halls and dedicated hotlines designed to give victims immediate access to support systems.
Ultimately, law enforcement officials stressed that eradicating domestic abuse requires a unified, community-wide approach rather than treating household conflict as a private issue.
Rafael said domestic violence is not merely a family concern, but a public safety and human rights issue that requires collective action. John Larry ‘Lala’ Agtarap/UC Intern
