DILG: Unified 911 proves vital lifeline for VAWC victims

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Friday that the Unified 911 Hotline has proven to be a critical ally for victims of Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) and other forms of gender-based violence (GBV), citing hundreds of cases resolved and lives saved through the emergency system.

According to the DILG, the Unified 911 hotline forms an integral part of the government’s toll-free national emergency communications service for VAWC victim-survivors. Once a call is received, incidents are immediately assessed, verified, and relayed to appropriate responders, law enforcement units, and partner agencies.

The department said the system supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen the implementation of Republic Act No. 9262, or the Anti-VAWC Act, by ensuring rapid response, coordinated intervention, and proper handling of sensitive cases.

From September to November 2025, the National Call Center received nearly 600 VAWC-related emergency calls, the DILG reported. Through coordination with first responders and law enforcement units, domestic assault incidents were intercepted and legal remedies pursued while upholding due process.

In one case in Makati City, a concerned neighbor reported an ongoing violent altercation between a married couple. With the wife allegedly threatened with a deadly weapon, Bantay Bayan personnel immediately responded and brought the parties to the nearest police station for the processing of a VAWC case.

In Masbate City, authorities responded to a report involving the alleged rape of a minor whose sensitive video had been circulated online. As the case fell under both VAWC and the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act, the victim was promptly referred to the Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) and the Cybercrime Division.

Meanwhile, the immediate arrest of a suspect in an alleged battered wife and child abuse case in Negros Occidental was facilitated through a 911 call, with police intervening to rescue the victims and filing the case before the WCPD.

The DILG said the inclusion of GBV emergency and distress calls in the 911 system was institutionalized through a joint agreement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), streamlining referral and response pathways.

With an inclusive and responsive emergency system in place, the DILG said the government aims to break the culture of silence surrounding VAWC, assuring victims that help is available within minutes through the Unified 911 hotline.