GAD Secretariat Conducts Lecture on Sexual Harassment for Administrative Officers in the Home Office

Atty. Ma. Claribel M. Ochoa points out that Sexual Harassment can be an administrative case, criminal case or civil case.

04 April 2018 MANILA – The Gender and Development (GAD) Secretariat of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) held a lecture on Sexual Harassment in a meeting of the Administrative Officers in the Home Office on March 23. The lecture focused on the rules and regulations on Administrative Sexual Harassment Cases in accordance with Department Oder No. 19-2013.

Atty. Ma. Claribel M. Ochoa, of the GAD Secretariat and Principal Assistant of the Human Resources Management Office, emphasized that the basis of the administrative Sexual Harassment is the perception of the offended party and not the motive of the offender. This may take the form of: 1) physical sexual harassment such as malicious touching, overt sexual advances, and gestures with lewd insinuations; 2) verbal requests or demands for sexual favors and lurid remarks; and 3) use of objects, pictures or graphics, letters or writing notes with sexual underpinnings.In the event of a sexual harassment case, a Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI) shall be formed and established in the Home Office, Consular Offices and Satellite Offices, and whenever possible in the Foreign Service Posts and Honorary Consulates.

The activity is part of the GAD Secretariat’s objective to increase awareness among DFA personnel on administrative sexual harassment, particularly on the offenses constituting its occurrence. END

Administrative Officers discuss issues on Sexual Harassment during the lecture.