FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
-,' 
r , ' ., 
SENATE 
S.B. No. 1097 
INTRODUCE!!) BY SEN. MANNY VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article I, Section 11 of the Constitution provides:"The State values the dignity of 
every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights:" This constitutional 
guarantee behooves the State to enact protective measures against threats to the full 
exercise of individual rights. In line. with the above constitutional provision, the Anti-
Violence Against Women and Children Act of 2004 (RA 9262) was enacted into law 
with the end in view of protecting women and children from abuse. 
Despite the foregoing, violence against women and their children still continue to 
be a sweeping social problem that has gained public awareness. Thus, to live up to the 
notion that the home is a safe and secure haven for families, women and children who 
have been physically, emotionally, psychologically and sexually abused, find it 
necessary to establish new residences in order to prevent their abusers from finding 
them and inflicting more harm, But due to easy public access to personal information 
through the use of government records, their desire to escape from their abusers 
usually fails, thereby depriving them from exercising their individual rights to the fullest 
as they can no longer register to vote, obtain a driver's license, among other things. 
To address this problem, this proposed bill, therefore, seeks to establish the 
Address Confidentiality Program which is patterned after the United States of America 
wherein thirty-one (31) of its States have implemented the same since 199 1. Through 
this Program, the Department of Justice (DOJ) will provide victims substitute mailing 
address in order to keep their new home, work and/or school address secret and avoid 
further abuse, Thus, upon approval of their application to avail of the Program, they can 
exercise their rights and do all other legal and necessary activities without revealing 
their actual address. Moreover, they may also use the designated address for other 
mails which may include utility bills, bank statements, court summonses, among others. 
To ensure peace of mind to victims of violence while starting a new life in a 
peaceful and secure environment and helping them get back into the mainstream of 
society, the proposed Address Confidentiality Program which shall be administered by 
the Department of Justice (DOJ), should therefore be enacted, 
Hence, immediate passage of this proposed bill is earnestly sou ht, 
MA 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S.B. No.I097 
!' , 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. MANNY VILLAR 
AN ACT 
TO ESTABLISH THE ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY PROGRAM FOR VICTIMS OF 
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN, PROVIDING PENALTIES 
FOR VIOLATION THEREOF, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House'of Representatives in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. -
This Act shall be known as the "Address 
Confidentiality Program Act". 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. -It is hereby declared the policy of the State to 
value the dignity of women and defend the rights of children and to recognize their role 
in nation-building. Towards this en~, the State shall ensure the protection of their 
fundamental rights by establishing the Address Confidentiality Program that will provide 
them confidential substitute mailing address, thus, help them get back into the 
mainstream of society. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms shall be 
defined as follows: 
a) Address - a residential address, school address, or work address of an individual, 
as specified on the individual's application to be a program participant under this 
Act; 
b) Application Assistant - a regular employee of the Department of Social Welfare 
and Development (DSWD) or a duly designated Non-Government Organizations 
(NGOs) personnel who shall 'counsel, assess and assist the victims of violence 
against women and children in the completion of program applications, who has 
been trained, certified and registered by the Department of Justice (DOJ); 
c) Certification - a notice certifying the eligibility to participate in the program; 
d) Department of Justice - refers'to DOJ; 
e) Department of Social Welfare and Development - refers to DSWD; 
f) Designated agencies - a government agency or a non-profit organization that 
provides counseling, shelter or other services to victims of violence against 
women and their children that ,has been designated by the DOJ as a place where 
eligible persons may apply to be a program participants; 
g) Mailing Address- an address used for delivery by the Philippine Postal Office; 
h) Program Participant - a person certified by the DOJ as eligible to participate in 
the Program; 
i) 
Substitute Address - address assigned to a Program participant provided by the 
Department of Justice -(DOJ); and 
j) Violence Against Women and their Children"-act or acts as defined in Section 3 
of RA 9262. 
SEC. 4. Address Confidentiality Program. - The Department of Justice shall 
establish and administer the Address Confidentiality Program, hereinafter referred to as 


the "Program", for victims of violence against women and their children that shall ensure 
their protection and safety by providing them with substitute address to be used when 
interacting with government agencies and a new mailing address which keeps their 
actual address confidential and free from the risk of discovery by third parties. The 
Program shall cater to victims who intends to establish a new residence and for those 
who have already relocated to another place unknown to their assailants or abusers 
who may use public records to find them. 
SEC. 5. Criteria for Eligibility to the Program. The following shall be eligible to 
the Program: 
a) A victim attempting to escape from actual or threatened violence; 
b) Fears for her and or/her child /children's safety; and 
c) Recently established a new residence address unknown to the abuser or is 
planning to move in the near future. 
SEC. 6. Filing and Submission of Application - Any person eligible to the 
Program shall submit the duly accomplished application farms with the DOJ in the 
manner and on the prescribed form containing the following: 
a) A sworn statement by the <!pplicant that she is a victim of violence against 
women and their children and that she fears for her and/or her children' safety; 
b) the mailing address and phone number where the applicant can be contacted by 
the DOJ; 
c) the latest address that the applicant request not to be disclosed; and 
d) duly accomplished address co'nfidentiality program application form signed by the 
applicant and attested by the application assistant. 
SEC. 7. Program Certification -Upon receipt of the duly accomplished 
application form by the DOJ, the applicant is certified as a program participant and shall 
be issued an authorization card. Such authorization card shall include the programs 
participant's name, date of birth, place of birth, new identification number, substitute 
mailing address, expiry date of said certification and signature of the participant. The 
participant shall thereafter be notified by the DOJ of the approval of her application. 
Said program participant certification is renewable after every four years from its initial 
issuance. 
SEC 8. Cancellation of Certification - Certification to the program by the 
participant may be cancelled for any of the following reasons: 
a) the certification term has expired and an application for renewal has not been 
filed; 
b) knowingly providing false or incorrect information when applying for certification; 
c) changing one's name without informing the DOJ; 
d) changing the residential address from the one listed on the application without 
informing the DOJ; and 
e) mail forwarded to the program participant is returned unclaimed for at least three 
times. 
SEC 9. Disclosure of Records. - The DOJ shall not make any records in a 
program participant's files available for inspection or copying unless directed by a court 
order to the person identified in the order. The information disclosed shall be maintained 
in strict confidentiality by the party receiving the information. 
It shall likewise make aV<;lilable for inspection or copying the, program 
participant's residential or mailing address if the participant's certification has already 
been cancelled. 
' 
SEC. 10. DeSignation of Department of Social Welfare and Development 
(DSWD) or Non-Government Organization (NGO). - The DOJ shall designate the 
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DSWD or NGO that provides counseling and shelter services to victims of violence 
against women and their children to assist persons applying to be program participants. 
SEC. 11. Training Seminar for Application Assistant. - The DOJ shall 
undertake trainings/ seminars for designated application assistant to train them on the 
proper procedure to follow in counseling the would-be program applicants. 
SEC. 12 . Penalty for Violation of Confidentiality of Program Participant's 
Records. - A program participant's' application and of supporting materials are not a 
public record and shall be kept confidential by the DOJ. Any employee who willfully 
breaches the confidentiality of these records or willfully discloses the name, residential 
or mailing address of a program participant in violation of the provisions of this Act shall 
suffer the penalty of one( 1) year imprisonment and a fine of not more than five hundred 
(P500,OOO.OO) thousand pesos: Provided, However, That if 'the violator is the program 
participant himself who falsely claims that disclosure of her residential or mailing 
address threatens her or her child's safety shall likewise suffer the same penalty 
mentioned above. 
SEC. 13. Appropriation of Funds -
The amount necessary for the 
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current year appropriation of the 
DOJ. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for its operation and maintenance 
shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
SEC. 14. Implementing Rules - The Department of Justice, in coordination with 
the DSWD, shall issue the necessary rules and regulations to effectively implement the 
provisions of this Act. 
SEC. 15. Separability Clause - If for any reason, any provision of this Act is 
declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions not affected thereby shall 
continue to be in full force and effect.. 
SEC. 16. Repealing Clause '.- Any law, presidential decree, executive order, or 
issuance, rules and regulations inconsistent with this Act is hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly. 
SEC. 17. Effectivity Clause'- This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days 
following its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in two newspapers of general 
circulation. 
Approved, 
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