Philippines: Information on protection for women victims of domestic violence
| Publisher | Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 July 1995 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | PHL21314.E |
| Cite as | Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Philippines: Information on protection for women victims of domestic violence, 1 July 1995, PHL21314.E, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aceb4b.html [accessed 21 May 2013] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Reports from 1994 obtained by the DIRB indicate that there is no specific law against spousal abuse in the Philippines (Country Reports 1994 1995, 676; Reuters 10 Mar. 1994). According to a 25 November 1992 Japan Economic Newswire report, wife abuse is punishable under the general assault laws and the penalties imposed ranged from 6 months to 6 years. The same source indicates that "usually complaints are dropped after the warring spouses reconcile."
With regard to the general situation of spousal abuse, Country Reports 1994, which is available at your Regional Documentation Centre, indicates that in 1994,
violence against women, particularly domestic violence, is a serious problem. The Women's Crisis Center, an NGO assisting abused and battered women, reported that it receives over 100 calls a week from battered women in the metropolitan Manila area. Women's advocates point to poverty, double standards of morality, lack of laws on domestic violence, and a traditional society reluctant to discuss private family affairs, as some of the reasons for the prevalence of domestic violence. No divorce rights and the lack of job opportunities combine to limit the ability of women to escape destructive relationships (1995, 676).
Attempts by the authorities to address the issue were reported in 1994. On 10 March 1994, Reuters reported that a congressional committee had approved the Wife Cruelty Act, aim of which was to curb the growing incidence of wife abuse, but that the bill still had to be passed by the Congress. The Xinhua News Agency reported that in April 1994, the Philippines National Police (PNP) decided to establish women's desks in all police stations in Luzon and the Cordilleral autonomous region to investigate complaints from women victims of violence, including domestic violence (Xinhua 28 Apr. 1994). For more information, please refer to the attachments. Also attached is an excerpt from the 1993 Encyclopedia of Women's Associations Worldwide, which lists a number of women's organizations in the Philippines. This list may be of interest.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1994. 1995. U.S. Department of State. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Japan Economic Newswire. 25 November 1992. "Filipinas Ask for Stronger Measures Against Wife Beaters." (NEXIS)
Reuters. 10 March 1994. BC Cycle. "Filipino Wife Beaters Face 20 Years in Jail." (NEXIS)
The Xinhua General Overseas News Agency. 28 April 1994. "Philippine Police to Expand Women's Desk." (NEXIS)
Attachments
Encyclopedia of Women's Associations Worldwide. 1993. Edited by Jacqueline K. Barrett. London: Gale Research International Ltd., pp. 81-84.
Japan Economic Newswire. 25 November 1992. "Filipinas Ask for Stronger Measures Against Wife Beaters." (NEXIS)
Reuters. 10 March 1994. BC Cycle. "Filipino Wife Beaters Face 20 Years in Jail." (NEXIS)
The Xinhua General Overseas News Agency. 28 April 1994. "Philippine Police to Expand Women's Desk." (NEXIS)
