PhilippineCommissiononWomen

Policy Brief No. 9

RecognizingSeriousPhysicalandSexualAbuseasGroundforLegalSeparation: AMENDINGTHEFAMILYCODEPROVISIONONLEGALSEPARATION

ThispolicybriefpresentstheproposedamendmentandprovidestherationaleforamendingArticle55(1)oftheFamilyCodeofthe Philippines,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 violencecouldbethereasonforseparationorannulment. Moreover,emotionalandotherformsofnonphysicalviolence arethemostcommontypesofspousalviolence(23%ofever marriedwomen).Meanwhile,amongevermarried(composed ofmarried,separatedorwidowed)women,oneinsevenhas experiencedphysicalviolencebytheirhusbands,while8 percenthaveexperiencedsexualviolencebytheirhusbands.

Withthegeneralphysicalstrengthdifferencesbetweenmen andwomen,womenaremorelikelytoreceiveseriousphysical injuriesthanmen.Womencanalsobeviolent,buttheiractions accountforasmallpercentageofdomesticviolence.Serious abuseslikephysicalviolencearemostoftencommittedbymen againstwomenandgirls.Thatiswhywomenfrequently becomevictimsofphysicalviolenceperpetratedbymenwho are,orwhohavebeeninpositionsoftrust,intimacyand power.Sinceviolenceisacycleofabuse,mostvictimsofthis intimatepartnerviolencewillbesubjectedtomorethanone instanceofphysicalabusebythesamepartner.

Thereareonlyafewcomparablestatisticsonpsychological violence,emotionaltortureandeconomicabuseofwomenat thehandsofintimatepartners,probablybecausetheseare hardertocaptureinevidences,andafullpictureofthedeeper andmoreinsidiouslevelsofviolencedefiesquantification. Whiletheimpactofphysicalviolencemaybemorevisiblethan psychologicalabuse,repeatedhumiliationandinsults,forced isolation,limitationsonsocialmobility,constantthreatsof violenceandinjury,anddenialofeconomicresourcesaremore subtleandinsidiousformsofviolence.Thevictimsurvivors reportthatongoingpsychologicalviolence,emotionaltorture andlivingunderterrorisoftenmoreunbearablethanthe physicalbrutality2.Thephysicalviolenceexperiencedbythe victimsisusuallyaccompaniedbypsychologicalabuse, emotionalinsults,andinmanycasesbysexualassault.

UndertheFamilyCodeofthePhilippines,repeatedphysical violenceisagroundforfilinganactionforlegalseparation:

Art. 55. A petition for legal separation may be filed on any of thefollowinggrounds: 1. Repeatedphysicalviolenceorgrosslyabusiveconduct directedagainstthepetitioner,acommonchild,ora childofthepetitioner;xxx

Legalseparationcouldbeanoptionforwomenwhosuffer fromanabusivespousebutfollowingtheaboveprovision,a physicallyabusedwifewillhavetogobackhomewherethe abusivepartnerisandwillhavetowaitinfearforthe repetitionofbeatingbeforeshecanfileanactionforlegal separation.

ThegroundforlegalseparationinArticle55(1)oftheFamily Codeisspecificallylimitedtophysicalviolenceorgrossly abusiveconduct.Itrequiresthatthephysicalviolence experiencedmustbeofaseriousdegreebutdoesnothaveto amounttoanattemptagainstthelifeofthevictim(petitioner). Theviolencemustalsoberepeatedtotheextentthatlifewith theabuser(defendant)becomesextremelydifficultforthe victim(petitioner)3.Thesecircumstancesreinforcethe batterersattemptstocontrolanddemeantheirvictimsand contributeinperpetuatingviolenceagainstwomenparticularly withinthesanctityofthehome,asexacerbatedbythislaw.

WHY IS THE ISSUE IMPORTANT?

Domesticviolencemaytakedifferentformssuchasphysical violence,sexualviolence,emotionalinsultsandeconomic deprivationasameanstodominateandmanipulateone partnerinarelationship.However,themostapparentamong theseformsisphysicalviolencewhichisoftenmanifestedas wifebeating.Physicalviolencemaybeasingle,manualactora seriesofdifferentacts,oracombinationofassaultwithor withoutuseofweapons.Itisresortedtobyanindividualasa methodofestablishingcontrolandpowerinarelationship1.
1

ThePhilippinePlanforGenderResponsiveDevelopment(19952025)

UNICEF,DomesticViolenceAgainstWomenandGirls(InnocentiDigest No.6,June2000),p.4. 3 ArturoM.Tolentino,CommentariesandJurisprudenceontheCivilCode ofthePhilippines(VolumeI,1961)

AMENDING THE FAMILY CODE PROVISION ON LEGAL SEPARATION

PCWPolicyBrief No.9

August 2013

WHAT ARE THE EXISTING LAWS OR POLICY ISSUANCES RELATED TO THE ISSUE?
Section12ofRA9710ortheMagnaCartaofWomen(MCW) providesfortheamendmentorrepealoflawsthatare discriminatorytowomenwhich,amongothers,includeArticle 55(1)ontherequirementforrepeatedphysicalabuseand grosslyabusiveconductasagroundforlegalseparation.Italso definesviolenceagainstwomen(VAW)asanyactofgender basedviolencethatresultsin,orislikelytoresultinphysical, sexual,orpsychologicalharmorsufferingtowomen,including threatsofsuchacts,coercion,orarbitrarydeprivationof liberty,whetheroccurringinpublicorinprivatelife.

womenandensureequalityofmenandwomeninallmatters relatingtomarriageandfamilyrelations.Inaddition,CEDAW GeneralRecommendationNo.19prohibitsnotjustgender baseddiscriminationbutmorespecifically,genderbased violence.

Alignment with National Priorities

AddressingthediscriminatoryprovisionsoftheFamilyCodeis consistentwithitem13ofthegovernments16pointagenda onGenderEqualitywhichstates;fromalackofconcernfor genderdisparitiesandshortfall,tothepromotionofequal genderopportunityinallspheresofpublicpoliciesand programs.

RA9262ortheAntiViolenceAgainstWomenandTheir ChildrenActof2004considersviolenceagainstwomenand theirchildrenasapubliccrime.Section2ofthislawcalledon theStatetoprotectthefamilyanditsmembers,particularly womenandchildrenfromviolenceandthreatstotheir personalsafetyandsecurity.

ItisalsoinlinewiththePhilippinePlanforGenderResponsive Development(19952025)whichcomprehensivelytackled violenceagainstwomen(VAW)withinthecontextofanational developmentframework.

WHAT ARE THE CONSIDERATIONS IN ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE IN THE COUNTRY?

POLICY RECOMMENDATION
ItisproposedthatArticle55(1)oftheFCPbeamendedto considernotonlythenumberoftimesviolenceis perpetrated,butalsotheseverityorgravityoftheviolence donesincetheverylifeorsecurityofthewomanisatstakeas sheisexposedtogreaterriskofsevereviolence.Theproposed amendmentshallreadasfollows:

Promoting womens rights and gender equality

AmendingthesaidprovisiononlegalseparationintheFamily CodewillgivewomenandchildrenadditionalStateprotection withintheconfinesofthefamilyhome.Whiletheproposed amendmentwillapplytobothspouses,itisviewedthatitwill bebeneficialforwomengleaningastheycomprisethemajority ofreporteddomesticviolencecases.Theproposedamendment willgivethewomananoptiontofileapetitionforlegal separationfromanabusivehusbandwhichiscivilinnature, insteadoffilingacriminalcase.

Art.55.Apetitionforlegalseparationmaybefiledonanyof thefollowinggrounds: 1. SERIOUSPHYSICALORSEXUALVIOLENCE,repeated physicalviolenceorgrosslyabusiveconductdirected againstthepetitioner,acommonchild,orachildof thepetitioner;XXX

Responding to International Commitments

Article2oftheConventionontheEliminationofAllFormsof DiscriminationAgainstWomen(CEDAW)doesnotspecifically mentiongenderbasedviolencebutitcallsupontheStates Partiestocondemndiscriminationagainstwomeninallits forms,agreetopursuebyallappropriatemeansandwithout delayapolicyofeliminatingdiscriminationagainstwomen. Article16alsocallsupontheStatesPartiestotakeall appropriatemeasurestoeliminatediscriminationagainst

CONCLUSION
AlegislativemeasuretoamendArticle55(1)oftheFamily CodewasfiledinthepreviousCongressbutwasnotapproved. Tothisend,itiswithhopethatourlegislators,consistentwith theirmandatesundertheConstitutionandtheMagnaCartaof Women,shallgivehighestprioritytotheenactmentofthis proposedamendmenttogetherwithothermeasuresthat protectandenhancetherightofallthepeopletohuman dignity,particularlyintheattainmentofsubstantiveequality.#

PCWPolicyBriefsaimtostimulateinformeddiscourseandguidepolicyactionsonissuesconcerningthe empowermentofwomenandpromotionofgenderequality.

OFFICEOFTHEPRESIDENT

PhilippineCommissiononWomen 1145J.P.LaurelStreet,SanMiguel,1005Manila http://www.pcw.gov.ph|pdad@pcw.gov.ph|+6327358918

AMENDING THE FAMILY CODE PROVISION ON LEGAL SEPARATION