In my book “Empowering the Abused Men,” published in 2019, I revealed that according to the 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), 12 percent of ever-married women (14,500) admitted initiating physical violence against their husbands/partners. This figure may actually be much higher when considering other forms of abuse/violence such as verbal, psychological, economic, and sexual. Unfortunately, there is a lack of legal protection for men in abusive relationships. While Republic Act No. 9262 protects women and children in abusive domestic settings, there is no specific law defining violence against men/husbands and partners in LGBT relationships.
Several bills have been proposed in the House of Representatives and Senate, including House Bill No. 4888 (2019), HB 1365 (2022), and Senate Bill No. 211 (2022). These bills aim to amend RA 9262 to include battered men/husbands/partners in its coverage. The rationale for these bills is based on the principle that “violence knows no gender.”
The enactment of a law protecting men in abusive relationships would promote gender equality, which is a fundamental human right. It calls for equal civic, political, economic, social, and cultural rights for all individuals. It is important to ensure that such a law fosters harmony rather than hindering unity in families and society.
Emiliano M. Manahan Jr., advocate and author,
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