Police Officers, as ninongs, give newlyweds timely advice
STA. BARBARA—It was a mass wedding none other.
Police officers here participated in the town’s early Valentine celebration by standing as ninong and ninang to 80 couples who took their vows during a mass wedding.
The ninongs and ninangs, true to form as police officers with their vow to ‘protect and serve’, gave the newlyweds a huge wedding cake with an unusual message: “Congratulations, Mahalin ang asawa, iwas RA 9262 (VAWC).”
Republic Act No. 9262 is the “Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004”.
It refers to any act or a series of acts committed by any person against a woman who is his wife, former wife, or against a woman with whom the person has or had a sexual or dating relationship, or against her child whether legitimate or illegitimate
“Under this law, relatives, friends, neighbors may file a complaint against a person committing such acts of violence,” said PO3 Ruth Poserio.
The oldest couples in the group, Arsenio and Teresita Liza who are both 54, said: “Our wedding is not only an expression of love, but a commitment to protect each other both now and in the future.”
Superintendent Eric Noble, the town’s chief of police, said the idea to get the police involved in the mass wedding was Mayor Reynaldo Velasco’s, himself a retired police general, and Municipal Civil Registrar Arturo Macatlang.
“Happy couples, make happy families. Happy families make happy and peaceful communities,” Velasco said.
Noble said the activity is part of the Philippine National Police Integrated Transformation Program (ITP) which seeks to empower the citizenry.#
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