Rep. Paolo Duterte filed a bill that aims to establish facilities that will provide temporary protection, support, and treatment to abused women and children across the country.
House Bill (HB) 8985 proposes to set up these facilities called “halfway houses,” Duterte said.
Duterte, the principal author of the bill, also said that despite the enactment 19 years ago of Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act, gender-based violence continues to remain prevalent.
Citing data from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Duterte said 7,424 cases of violations of RA 9262 were reported in 2022, and another 8,430 cases in the previous year.
“On top of these cases are the many incidents of domestic violence, trafficking, sexual assault, and harassment that remain unreported by abused women and children due to fear and shame,” Duterte said. Duterte called on his fellow lawmakers to act on HB 8985 as the country commemorates National Children’s Month and prepares to mark the annual 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women, which starts on Nov. 25.
Under Duterte’s proposed legislation, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is tasked to procure, build, install, operate, manage and/or maintain at least one halfway house in every province.
The location of the halfway house should be geographically accessible to every municipality in the province, he said.
Duterte noted that the DSWD has already set up facilities called “Haven for Women” and “Haven for Children” in various areas in the country to provide temporary care and shelter to victims of abuse and exploitation.
“It is about time we codify similar facilities into legislation for its institutionalization, thereby increasing the number of halfway houses for women and children victims,” he said.
Local government units (LGUs) of highly urbanized cities, independent cities and component cities are also mandated under HB 8985 to have at least one halfway house in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
“Halfway houses shall be used by the DSWD and LGUs solely to accommodate abused women and children in pursuit of the victim’s immediate relief, reintegration, protection, support, and treatment, with a maximum of ninety (90) days of accommodation,” the bill states.
At the end of the stay, the custody of the abused person shall be entrusted to their most immediate family member, or in their absence, a qualified legal guardian to be determined by the registered social worker assigned to the halfway house.
Under the bill, a female victim of violence shall be entitled custody and support of her child or children.
Meanwhile, children victims who are under 7 years of age or those older but with mental or physical disabilities shall be automatically given to the mother, with the right to support, unless there are compelling reasons found by the courts against her.
The bill also states that “a victim who is suffering from battered woman syndrome shall not be disqualified from having custody of her children and in no case shall custody of minor children be given to the perpetrator of a woman who is suffering from battered woman syndrome.”