The
law on Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children was enacted in 2004,
aimed at protecting women and their children against physical, sexual,
psychological and economic abuses. The law
punishes the following acts under Section 5 thereof and are considered
as crime of violence against women and their children:
(a)
Causing physical harm to the woman or her child;
(b)
Threatening to cause the woman or her child physical harm;
(c)
Attempting to cause the woman or her child physical harm;
(d)
Placing the woman or her child in fear of imminent physical harm;
(e)
Attempting to compel or compelling the woman or her child to engage in conduct
which the woman or her child has the right to desist from or desist from
conduct which the woman or her child has the right to engage in, or attempting
to restrict or restricting the woman's or her child's freedom of movement or
conduct by force or threat of force, physical or other harm or threat of
physical or other harm, or intimidation directed against the woman or child.
This shall include, but not limited to, the following acts committed with the
purpose or effect of controlling or restricting the woman's or her child's
movement or conduct:
(1) Threatening to
deprive or actually depriving the woman or her child of custody to her/his
family;
(2) Depriving or
threatening to deprive the woman or her children of financial support legally
due her or her family, or deliberately providing the woman's children
insufficient financial support;
(3) Depriving or
threatening to deprive the woman or her child of a legal right;
(4) Preventing the
woman in engaging in any legitimate profession, occupation, business or
activity or controlling the victim's own mon4ey or properties, or solely
controlling the conjugal or common money, or properties;
(f)
Inflicting or threatening to inflict physical harm on oneself for the purpose
of controlling her actions or decisions;
(g)
Causing or attempting to cause the woman or her child to engage in any sexual
activity which does not constitute rape, by force or threat of force, physical
harm, or through intimidation directed against the woman or her child or
her/his immediate family;
(h)
Engaging in purposeful, knowing, or reckless conduct, personally or through
another, that alarms or causes substantial emotional or psychological distress
to the woman or her child. This shall include, but not be limited to, the
following acts:
(1) Stalking or
following the woman or her child in public or private places;
(2) Peering in the
window or lingering outside the residence of the woman or her child;
(3) Entering or
remaining in the dwelling or on the property of the woman or her child against
her/his will;
(4) Destroying the
property and personal belongings or inflicting harm to animals or pets of the
woman or her child; and
(5) Engaging in
any form of harassment or violence;
(i)
Causing mental or emotional anguish, public ridicule or humiliation to the
woman or her child, including, but not limited to, repeated verbal and
emotional abuse, and denial of financial support or custody of minor children
of access to the woman's child/children.
The foregoing are considered as Violence against women and can be made basis for filing of a criminal action in Philippine courts.