The Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, chaired by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, on Thursday, 26 October 2023, tackled anew the Department of Social Welfare and Development's issuance of a new cease and desist order against Gentle Hands Inc., a Quezon City orphanage, for violating a fire safety regulation which reportedly put its children at risk.
During the hearing, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian noted that most of the issues raised by the GHI had been properly vetted and already answered in the previous hearing last July.
"The CDO is an implied power by the regulatory agency, the Supreme Court has ruled on that numerous times, especially when it comes to imminent danger of the children. It is an implied power of the regulatory agencies, especially in our case when the children are already at risk because of imminent danger," Gatchalian said.