Karapatan ng mga kababaihan laban sa sekswal na pang-aabuso sa trabaho

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | September 8, 2024

Isa sa mga mahalagang polisiya ng Estado ay ang pagkilala at pagpapahalaga sa gampanin ng mga kababaihan sa hanay ng mga manggagawa sa ating lipunan. 

Marami na ang batas na ginawa para mabigyan ng proteksyon ang ating mga kababaihan. Kabilang na rito ang batas na tumutukoy sa mga nasa hanay ng manggagawa. 

Isa sa mga pangunahing batas na ito ay ang Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11313 o mas kilala bilang “Safe Spaces Act,” na muling nagpapatibay sa polisiya ng Estado na mabigyan ng proteksyon ang mga kababaihang nasa hanay ng manggagawa.

Ayon sa Section 17 ng nasabing batas, ang mga employer o ibang taong may awtoridad, impluwensya o moral ascendancy sa isang lugar ng trabaho ay may obligasyong pigilan, hadlangan, o parusahan ang pagsasagawa ng anumang uri ng gender-based sexual harassment sa lugar ng trabaho. Upang maisakatuparan ang tungkuling ito ng employer, kinakailangan na maipatupad nito ang mga sumusunod:

(a) Disseminate or post in a conspicuous place a copy of this Act (Safe Spaces Act) to all persons in the workplace;

(b) Provide measures to prevent gender-based sexual harassment in the workplace, such as the conduct of anti-sexual harassment seminars;

(c) Create an independent internal mechanism or a committee on decorum and investigation to investigate and address complaints of gender-based sexual harassment which shall:

(1) Adequately represent the management, the employees from the supervisory rank, the rank-and-file employees, and the union, if any;

(2) Designate a woman as its head and not less than half of its members should be women;

(3) Be composed of members who should be impartial and not connected or related to the alleged perpetrator;

(4) Investigate and decide on the complaints within ten (10) days or less upon receipt thereof;

(5) Observe due process;

(6) Protect the complainant from retaliation; and

(7) Guarantee confidentiality to the greatest extent possible;

(d) Provide and disseminate, in consultation with all persons in the workplace, a code of conduct or workplace policy which shall:

(1) Expressly reiterate the prohibition on gender-based sexual harassment;

(2) Describe the procedures of the internal mechanism created under Section 17(c) of this Act; and

(3) Set administrative penalties.

Malinaw sa mga nakasaad sa itaas ang tungkuling dapat isagawa ng mga employer upang bigyan ng katuparan ang probisyon ng “Safe Spaces Act.” Maliban sa mga employer o amo, ang mga kapwa empleyado ay may mga tungkulin din katulad ng mga sumusunod:

Section 18. Duties of Employees and Co-Workers. -Employees and co-workers shall have the duty to:

(a) Refrain from committing acts of gender-based sexual harassment;

(b) Discourage the conduct of gender-based sexual harassment in the workplace;

(c) Provide emotional or social support to fellow employees, co-workers, colleagues or peers who are victims of gender-based sexual harassment; and

(d) Report acts of gender-based sexual harassment witnessed in the workplace.

Maliban sa pananagutan ng employer kung ito ay nagsagawa ng sekswal na panliligalig, maaari rin itong maging responsable kapag mayroong paglabag sa mga tungkuling iniatang sa employer na nakapaloob sa Section 17 ng batas, o kaya naman sa pagkakataong hindi nito inaksyunan ang anumang sumbong o reklamo ng mga gawaing sekswal na panliligalig na isinagawa sa lugar ng trabaho. Ang employer o amo na hindi tumupad sa kanyang tungkulin ay maaaring maparusahan, ayon sa Section 19 ng nabanggit na batas, kung saan nakasaad na:  

Section 19. Liability of Employers. — In addition to liabilities for committing acts of gender-based sexual harassment, employers may also be held responsible for:

(a) Non-implementation of their duties under Section 17 of this Act, as provided in the penal provisions; or

(b) Not taking action on reported acts of gender-based sexual harassment committed in the workplace.

Any person who violates subsection (a) of this section, shall upon conviction, be penalized with a fine of not less than Five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) nor more than Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00).

Any person who violates subsection (b) of this section, shall upon conviction, be penalized with a fine of not less than Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) nor more than Fifteen thousand pesos (P15,000.00).