By
Dominic I. Sanchez
ZAMBOANGA
CITY – Western
Mindanao State University (WMSU) College of Law dean, Atty. Eduardo Sanson, has
encouraged women who are or have been abused by their husbands or male partners
to seek help and protection from authorities to avoid being “battered.”
In
Dateline Teleradyo on Saturday, Atty. Sanson explained that women are given
protection by the anti-Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) law (Republic
Act 9262) from all forms of abuses.
“There
are three classifications of violence and abuses against women: physical,
psychological, and financial,” he said. Atty. Sanson explained that physical
abuses include battering the woman, or inflicting physical harm. Psychological
abuses include verbal cruelty towards the woman and financial abuses include
not providing for the financial needs of the woman or wife.
He
added that the law not only applies to married couples, but even to common-law
(live-in) partners and boyfriend-girlfriend relationships.
“Abuses
are a crime and the perpetrators are criminally liable,” he emphasized citing
that a man can go to prison if found guilty of violating the law.
In
such cases, the women may report abuses to the barangay officials or the
police. “The barangays can give a protection order,” Atty. Sanson pointed out.
Moreover,
in the event a man is caught in the act beating or abusing his wife, police and
barangay officials can immediately intervene.
The
main problem, said Atty. Sanson is that many women in spite of being constantly
abused refuse to report the incidents because of “love”. “Many of them remain
silent because of a said ‘lovers’ pact’.”
The
Philippines is a signatory to the international convention that protects women
from all forms of violence. “As such, it has enacted laws particularly for the
protection of women,” added Atty. Sanson.