FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 
532 
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1 Q JUL -7 A9 :21 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 11 provides: 
'The State values tiJ.e dignity of every human person 
and guarantees full respect for human rights." 
The elderly have always been victims of moderate to severe abuse. Elder 
abuse takes on many forms including physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological 
(emotional) abuse, neglect (intended or unintended) and financial exploitation. 
Unfortunately, there are relatively few statistics and research studies 
regarding violence against older or disabled persons. Public and professional 
awareness and identification of elder abuse is difficult because older or disabled 
persons are not tied into many social networks (such as schools or jobs), and may 
become isolated in their homes, which can increase the risk of elder abuse. 
Further, elder abuse is severely underreported, with only a fraction of cases 
reported, according to the most recent studies. Some older or disabled persons, 
particularly women and minorities, fail to report abuse because of shame, privacy 
concerns, or as a result of prior unsatisfactory experiences with individuals, 
agencies or others who lacked sensitivity to the concerns or needs of older or 
disabled people. 
Others fail to report abuse because they are dependent on their abusers 
and fear being abandoned or institutionalized. There is a need to formulate 
policies that develop, strengthen and implement programs for the prevention of 
abuse, including neglect and exploitation, and provide related assistance for 
victims. 
Hence, this bill seeks to ensure that older or disabled persons are 
protected from institutional, community and domestic violence and sexual 
assault and to improve outreach efforts and other services available to older or 
disabled persons victimized by such violence. Immediate approval of this bill is 
earnestly recommended. 
Senator 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 
532 
§". \. ,: .. -*' {, 
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(}F~tGE or i;'1: SECri'EfARV 
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10 
JUL 
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INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
TO ENSURE THAT OLDER OR DISABLED PERSONS ARE PROTECTED 
FROM INSTITUTIONAL, COMMUNITY AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND 
SEXUAL ASSAULT AND TO IMPROVE OUTREACH EFFORTS AND 
OTHER SERVICES AVAILABLE TO OLDER OR DISABLED PERSONS 
VICTIMIZED BY SUCH VIOLENCE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Older Filipino's 
Protection from Violence Act." 
SEC. 2. Law School Clinical Programs on Elder Abuse, Neglect and 
Exploitation. - The Secretary of Justice shall make grants to law school clinical 
programs for the purposes of finding the inclusion of cases addressing issues of 
elder abuse, neglect and exploitation, including domest.ic violence and sexual 
assault, against older or disabled individuals. 
SEC. 3. Training Programs for Law Enforcement Officers. -
The 
Secretary of Justice, in consultation with the Secretary of Social Welfare and 
Development and nongovernmental organization shall develop curricula and offer, 
or provide for the offering of, training programs to assist law enforcement officers, 
prosecutors and 
relevant officers of courts 
in 
recognizing, 
addressing, 
investigating and prosecuting instances of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation, 
including domestic violence and sexual assault against older or disabled 
individuals. 
SEC. 4. Support Services. -
Development, 
in 
cooperation 
and 
organizations shall: 
The Secretary of Social Welfare and 
coordination 
with 
non-governmental 
a) establish domestic violence programs to encourage the development 
programs, including outreach, support groups and counseling, targeted to victims 
of elder domestic abuse and establishment of domestic violence shelters, which 
shall include the use of senior housing, nursing homes or other suitable facilities or 
services when appropriate as emergency short term shelters or measures for older 
or disabled individuals who are the victims of elder abuse, including domestic 
violence and sexual assault against older or disabled individuals; 
b) make grants to non-profit private organizations to support projects in 
local communities, involving diverse sectors of each community, to coordinate 


activities concerning intervention in and prevention of elder abuse, neglect and 
exploitation, including domestic violence and sexual assault against older or 
disabled individuals. 
c) make grants to develop and implement outreach programs directed 
toward assisting older or disabled individuals who are victims of elder abuse, 
neglect and exploitation (including domestic violence and sexual assault against 
older or disabled individuals) including programs directed toward assisting the 
individuals in senior housing complexes, nursing homes, board and care 
facilities 
and senior centers. 
d) For purposes of this section, the term "domestic violence" means an act 
or threat of violence not including an act of self defense, committed: 
I) by a current or former spouse of the victim; 
2) by a person related by blood or marriage to the victim; 
3) by a person who is cohabiting with or has cohabited with the 
victim; 
4) by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common; 
5) by a person who is or has been in the social relationship of a 
romantic or intimate nature with the victim; or 
6) by a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim, or by any 
other person, if the domestic or family violence laws of the 
jurisdiction of the vic/im provide for legal protection of the victim 
from the person. 
SEC. 5. Training for Health Professionals on Screening for Elder 
Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation. -
a) The Secretary of Social Welfare and Development, shall, in consultation 
with the Assistant Secretary develop curricula and implement continuing education 
training programs for adult protective service workers, health care providers 
(including home health care providers), social workers, clergy, domestic violence 
service providers and other community-based social service providers in settings, 
including senior centers, adult day care facilities, nursing homes, board and care 
facilities and senior housing, to improve their ability to recognize and address 
instances of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation, including domestic violence and 
sexual assault against older or disabled individuals. 
b) In carrying out paragraph (a), the Secretary in consultation with the 
Department of Health, and Commission on Higher Education shall develop and 
implement separate curricula and training programs for medical students, 
physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and nurses. 
SEC. 6. Funding. - The amount necessary to effectively carry out the 
provisions of this Act is hereby authorized to be appropriated. 
SEC. 7. Separability Clause. - If any proviSion or part hereof, is held 
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise 
affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 
SEC. 8. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation 
contrary to or inconsistent with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, 
modified or amended accordingly. 


SEC. 9. Effectivity Clause, - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,