Gutierrez: Justice must be accessible

Department of Justice (DoJ) Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez reminded attendees at the Spark! Philippines #Women2026 Ladies Who Lead Forum that justice means little if it cannot reach the people who need it most — especially women. The event was held at Robinsons Galleria, Quezon City, on 7 March.

“Justice is not measured only by the laws that we pass, but by whether our systems actually work for the people who need them,” Gutierrez said, emphasizing that legal protections are only meaningful if they are accessible to everyone.

To illustrate, she shared the story of a woman she called “Anna,” who spent 23 years in prison for murder after killing a man who raped her. The Supreme Court later ruled that she should have been convicted of a lesser offense which had a maximum sentence of only 30 days.

“Imagine — 30 days lang, pero ang naserve niya, 23 years,” Gutierrez said. Procedural delays kept Anna in detention long after the court had corrected her sentence, exposing gaps in the system for those unable to navigate its complexities.

“Rights without access are rights that exist only on paper,” she said.

Gutierrez also highlighted pressing issues facing women and children, including abuse and exploitation. She cited international monitoring reports identifying the Philippines as a global hotspot for the production of child sexual abuse materials, noting that many victims still do not know where to turn for help.

“We have laws that protect women, but if a victim does not know where to go, can we truly say justice exists?” she asked.

To bridge these gaps, the DoJ has expanded its frontline services through the DoJ Action Center and the Katarungan Caravan, which bring legal assistance directly to communities. Last year alone, the Caravan assisted more than 25,000 clients, with a cumulative total exceeding 50,000 Filipinos served since 2023.

“Justice should not depend on geography. Justice should not depend on income. Justice should not depend on connections,” Gutierrez said, calling on women leaders to strengthen institutions that protect rights and ensure accountability.

“When we speak of ladies who lead, it should not simply be about visibility. It should be about standards. The true measure of leadership is not the position we hold, but the system that we leave behind,” she said.

The forum brought together women leaders from government, business, and civil society, including Cristalle Belo (Belo Essentials), Alexa Jocom (Halia) and Billie Dumaliang (Masungi Georeserve).