Tagbilaran City:The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) has urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to conduct an investigation into the alleged sexual harassment of a deaf woman on a bus in Tagbilaran City, Bohol. The council is seeking charges against those responsible for the incident.

According to Philippines News Agency, NCDA Executive Director Glenda Relova announced at a press briefing that the council is awaiting a response from the DOTr regarding their request for an immediate and impartial investigation. The NCDA's regional program coordinator is collaborating with local social welfare officials and persons with disability affairs offices to potentially provide psychosocial and legal assistance to the victim.

The incident reportedly occurred around 4 a.m. on November 1 while the woman and her minor child were traveling to church. She accused a bus conductor of harassment and later shared her experience and a video on Facebook. Relova addressed online comments criticizing the grammar in the woman's post, emphasizing that Filipino Sign Language is an integral part of the deaf community's culture and identity.

Relova stated that the woman has the right to recount her experience and pursue legal actions. She also encouraged families of deaf individuals to learn Filipino Sign Language to improve communication. The NCDA has called for disability sensitivity training for bus operators and frontline transportation personnel, though efforts to engage bus operators have been slow.

The NCDA offers an online course on disability sensitivity and aims for personnel from all 16-member government agencies to complete the training within five years.

Additionally, the NCDA is addressing the issue of fake persons with disability (PWD) identification cards. The council is developing a unified PWD ID system, expected to reduce misuse and improve verification processes. The system, piloted in five municipalities, will assign unique identification numbers and QR codes to each ID. Local offices can verify the authenticity of IDs through the NCDA.

Establishments must accept both new and existing PWD IDs during a three-year transition period under the new system. The NCDA continues to monitor cases of fake PWD IDs in various cities, with legal proceedings underway in Davao and Cebu. However, no penalties have been reported as of the latest briefing.