7/29/2019 9 Repeated Physical Injuries in Legal Separation

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AMENDING THE FAMILY CODE PROVISION ON LEGAL SEPARATION

PhilippineCommissiononWomenPolicy Brief No. 9

RecognizingSeriousPhysicalandSexualAbuseasGroundforLegalSeparation:AMENDINGTHEFAMILYCODEPROVISIONONLEGALSEPARATION

ThispolicybriefpresentstheproposedamendmentandprovidestherationaleforamendingArticle55(1)oftheFamilyCodeofthePhilippines,toconsidernotonlythenumberoftimesphysicalabuseiscommitted,butalsothegravityofabusecommittedin

petitionsforlegalseparation.WHAT IS THE ISSUE?Womenandchildrensufferfromactsofviolenceandserious

abuses.The2008NationalDemographicandHealthSurvey

(NDHS)conductedbytheNationalStatisticsOffice

(NSO)revealedthatoneinfivewomenaged1549has

experiencedphysicalviolencesinceage15andoneintenhas

experiencedsexualviolence;14.4percentofmarriedwomen

haveexperiencedphysicalabusefromtheirhusbands;and

morethanonethird(37%)ofseparatedorwidowedwomen

haveexperiencedphysicalviolence,implyingthatdomestic

violencecould

be

the

reason

for

separation

or

annulment.

Moreover,emotionalandotherformsofnonphysicalviolence

arethemostcommontypesofspousalviolence(23%ofever

marriedwomen).Meanwhile,amongevermarried(composed

ofmarried,separatedorwidowed)women,oneinsevenhas

experiencedphysicalviolencebytheirhusbands,while8

percenthaveexperiencedsexualviolencebytheirhusbands.

UndertheFamilyCodeofthePhilippines,repeatedphysicalviolenceisagroundforfilinganactionforlegalseparation:

Art.55.Apetitionforlegalseparationmaybefiledonanyofthefollowinggrounds:

1. Repeatedphysicalviolenceorgrosslyabusiveconductdirectedagainstthepetitioner,acommonchild,orachildofthepetitioner;xxx

Legalseparationcouldbeanoptionforwomenwhosuffer

fromanabusivespousebutfollowingtheaboveprovision,a

physicallyabusedwifewillhavetogobackhomewherethe

abusivepartnerisandwillhavetowaitinfearforthe

repetitionofbeatingbeforeshecanfileanactionforlegal

separation.

WHY IS THE ISSUE IMPORTANT?Domesticviolencemaytakedifferentformssuchasphysical

violence,sexualviolence,emotionalinsultsandeconomic

deprivationas

ameans

to

dominate

and

manipulate

one

partnerinarelationship. However,themostapparentamong

theseformsisphysicalviolencewhichisoftenmanifestedas

wifebeating.Physicalviolencemaybeasingle,manualactora

seriesofdifferentacts,oracombinationofassaultwithor

withoutuseofweapons.Itisresortedtobyanindividualasa

methodofestablishingcontrolandpowerinarelationship1.

1ThePhilippinePlanforGenderResponsiveDevelopment(19952025)

Withthegeneralphysicalstrengthdifferencesbetweenmen

andwomen,womenaremorelikelytoreceiveseriousphysical

injuriesthanmen.Womencanalsobeviolent,buttheiractions

accountforasmallpercentageofdomesticviolence.Serious

abuseslikephysicalviolencearemostoftencommittedbymen

againstwomenandgirls.Thatiswhywomenfrequently

becomevictimsofphysicalviolenceperpetratedbymenwho

are,orwhohavebeeninpositionsoftrust,intimacyand

power.Sinceviolenceisacycleofabuse,mostvictimsofthis

intimatepartnerviolencewillbesubjectedtomorethanone

instanceof

physical

abuse

by

the

same

partner.

Thereareonlyafewcomparablestatisticsonpsychological

violence,emotionaltortureandeconomicabuseofwomenat

thehandsofintimatepartners,probablybecausetheseare

hardertocaptureinevidences,andafullpictureofthedeeper

andmoreinsidiouslevelsofviolencedefiesquantification.

Whiletheimpactofphysicalviolencemaybemorevisiblethan

psychologicalabuse, repeatedhumiliationandinsults,forced

isolation,limitationsonsocialmobility,constantthreatsof

violenceandinjury,anddenialofeconomicresourcesaremore

subtleandinsidiousformsofviolence.Thevictimsurvivors

reportthatongoingpsychologicalviolence,emotionaltorture

and

living

under

terror

is

often

more

unbearable

than

the

physicalbrutality2.Thephysicalviolenceexperiencedbythe

victimsisusuallyaccompaniedbypsychologicalabuse,

emotionalinsults,andinmanycasesbysexualassault.

ThegroundforlegalseparationinArticle55(1)oftheFamily

Codeisspecificallylimitedtophysicalviolenceorgrossly

abusiveconduct.Itrequiresthatthephysicalviolence

experiencedmustbeofaseriousdegreebutdoesnothaveto

amounttoanattemptagainstthelifeofthevictim(petitioner).

Theviolencemustalsoberepeatedtotheextentthatlifewith

theabuser(defendant)becomesextremelydifficultforthe

victim(petitioner)3.Thesecircumstancesreinforcethe

batterersattemptstocontrolanddemeantheirvictimsand

contributeinperpetuatingviolenceagainstwomenparticularly

withinthesanctityofthehome,asexacerbatedbythislaw.

2UNICEF,DomesticViolenceAgainstWomenandGirls(InnocentiDigest

No.6,June2000),p.4.3ArturoM.Tolentino,CommentariesandJurisprudenceontheCivilCode

ofthePhilippines(VolumeI,1961)

7/29/2019 9 Repeated Physical Injuries in Legal Separation

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PCW Policy Brief

No. 9

August

2013

AMENDING THE FAMILY CODE PROVISION ON LEGAL SEPARATION

WHAT ARE THE EXISTING LAWS OR POLICYISSUANCES RELATED TO THE ISSUE?Section12ofRA9710ortheMagnaCartaofWomen(MCW)

providesfortheamendmentorrepealoflawsthatare

discriminatorytowomenwhich,amongothers,includeArticle

55(1)ontherequirementforrepeatedphysicalabuseand

grosslyabusive

conduct

as

aground

for

legal

separation.

It

also

definesviolenceagainstwomen(VAW)asanyactofgender

basedviolencethatresultsin,orislikelytoresultinphysical,

sexual,orpsychologicalharmorsufferingtowomen,including

threatsofsuchacts,coercion,orarbitrarydeprivationof

liberty,whetheroccurringinpublicorinprivatelife.

RA9262ortheAntiViolenceAgainstWomenandTheir

ChildrenActof2004considersviolenceagainstwomenand

theirchildrenasapubliccrime.Section2ofthislawcalledon

theStatetoprotectthefamilyanditsmembers,particularly

womenandchildrenfromviolenceandthreatstotheir

personalsafetyandsecurity.

WHAT ARE THE CONSIDERATIONS INADDRESSING THIS ISSUE IN THE COUNTRY?

Promoting womens rights and gender equalityAmendingthesaidprovisiononlegalseparationintheFamily

CodewillgivewomenandchildrenadditionalStateprotection

withintheconfinesofthefamilyhome.Whiletheproposed

amendmentwillapplytobothspouses,itisviewedthatitwill

bebeneficialforwomengleaningastheycomprisethemajority

ofreporteddomesticviolencecases.Theproposedamendment

willgivethewomananoptiontofileapetitionforlegal

separationfromanabusivehusbandwhichiscivilinnature,

insteadof

filing

acriminal

case.

Responding to International CommitmentsArticle2oftheConventionontheEliminationofAllFormsof

DiscriminationAgainstWomen(CEDAW)doesnotspecifically

mentiongenderbasedviolencebutitcallsupontheStates

Partiestocondemndiscriminationagainstwomeninallits

forms,agreetopursuebyallappropriatemeansandwithout

delayapolicyofeliminatingdiscriminationagainstwomen.

Article16alsocallsupontheStatesPartiestotakeall

appropriatemeasurestoeliminatediscriminationagainst

womenandensureequalityofmenandwomeninallmatters

relatingtomarriageandfamilyrelations.Inaddition,CEDAW

GeneralRecommendationNo.19prohibitsnotjustgender

baseddiscriminationbutmorespecifically,gender based

violence.

Alignment with National PrioritiesAddressingthediscriminatoryprovisionsoftheFamilyCodeis

consistentwithitem13ofthegovernments16pointagenda

onGenderEqualitywhichstates;fromalackofconcernforgenderdisparitiesandshortfall,tothepromotionofequalgenderopportunityinallspheresofpublicpoliciesandprograms.ItisalsoinlinewiththePhilippinePlanforGenderResponsive

Development(19952025)whichcomprehensivelytackled

violenceagainstwomen(VAW)withinthecontextofanational

developmentframework.

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONItisproposedthatArticle55(1)oftheFCPbeamendedtoconsidernotonlythenumberoftimes violenceisperpetrated,butalsotheseverityorgravityoftheviolencedonesincetheverylifeorsecurityofthewomanisatstakeas

sheisexposedtogreaterriskofsevereviolence.Theproposed

amendmentshallreadasfollows:

Art.55.Apetitionforlegalseparationmaybefiledonanyofthefollowinggrounds:

1. SERIOUSPHYSICALORSEXUALVIOLENCE,repeatedphysicalviolenceorgrosslyabusiveconductdirectedagainstthepetitioner,acommonchild,orachildofthe

petitioner;

XXX

CONCLUSIONAlegislativemeasuretoamendArticle55(1)oftheFamily

CodewasfiledinthepreviousCongressbutwasnotapproved.

Tothisend,itiswithhopethatourlegislators,consistentwith

theirmandatesundertheConstitutionandtheMagnaCartaof

Women,shallgivehighestprioritytotheenactmentofthis

proposedamendmenttogetherwithothermeasuresthat

protectandenhancetherightofallthepeopletohuman

dignity,particularlyintheattainmentofsubstantiveequality.#

PCWPolicyBriefsaimtostimulateinformeddiscourseandguidepolicyactionsonissuesconcerningthe

empowermentofwomenandpromotionofgenderequality.

OFFICEOFTHEPRESIDENT

PhilippineCommissiononWomen1145J.P.LaurelStreet,SanMiguel,1005Manila

http://www.pcw.gov.ph|pdad@pcw.gov.ph|+6327358918