‘Bill on violence vs men up to lawmakers’

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang is leaving it up to lawmakers to pass a bill that would protect men from domestic violence.

There have been renewed calls to enact a counterpart of Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act of 2004 with the celebration of Father’s Day today.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Malacañang would need to first see the contents of any proposal before they could make any comment.

Valte added that they would have to study if the bill would equalize the situation of men and women in the sense that men could also ask for a temporary or permanent protection order from their wives or other women in case of battery or abuse.

Valte said under RA 9262, economic abuse or the lack of financial support for the family aside from physical and emotional abuse could be filed against men.

The law states that violence against women and their children refers to “physical, sexual, psychological harm or suffering, or economic abuse including threats of such acts, battery, assault, coercion, harassment or  arbitrary deprivation of liberty.”