A bill that will recognize husbands who are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault will be filed by Congressman Juan Fidel Nograles in Congress, due to rising reports of men experiencing partner violence every year.
The proposed “battered husbands” bill will hold women equally accountable for their actions against their male partners, Nograles said during the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Hotel forum on Monday.
“I will study your suggestion because according to the law, women and children are marginalized and powerless sectors and the most common victims of domestic violence than male,” he said.
The young congressman from the 2nd district of Rizal province expressed concern if the bill would pass congress since majority of the members of the House of Representatives would consider the political issue that may affect the support of women and LBGT during elections.
However, Nograles believes his male colleagues in Congress would support the proposed bill to protect battered husbands, “because many of them were also victims of domestic violence but kept mum,” which drew laughter from the audience.
“I think there are between 30 to 50 women members of the 18th congress,” Nograles, who is also a human rights lawyer, said.
Nograles also thinks that a bill for abused men would have to fight an uphill battle to be taken seriously.
A similar idea cropped up in 2013 when Senator Tito Sotto and former Senator Gregorio Honasan, now secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, both entertained a question whether they will file a bill for maltreated husbands to sympathize with their beleaguered “bros” since they are both “under the saya” (henpecked husbands).