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THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session ~ 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Stlate values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full 
respect for h q a n  rights. 
The elderly have always been victims of moderate to severe abuse. Elderly 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 elderly 
abuse is difficult because older or disabled persons are not tied into many social networks (such 
as schools or jobs), &d may become isolated in their homes, which can increase the risk of 
elderly abuse. 
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Further, elderly abuse is severely underreported, with only a fraction of cases reported, 
according to the mos; recent studies. Some elder or disabled persons, particularly women and 
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because of shame, privacy concerns, or as a result of prior 
with individuals, agencies, or others who lacked sensitivity to the 
or disabled people. Others fail to report abuse because they are 
unsatisfactory 
fear being abandoned or institutionalized. 


There is a need to formulate p( 
for the prevention of abuse, including r 
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victims. 
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Hence, this bill seeks to ens 
institutional, community, and domesti 
efforts and other services available to o 
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cies that develop, strengthen, and implement programs 
;lect and exploitation, and provide related assistance for 
; that older or disabled persons are protected from 
violence and sexual assault and to improve outreach 
:r or disabled persons victimized by such violence. 


First Regular Session 
~ Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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SENATE 
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S.B.No. 
Be it enacted b$ 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. 
From Violence Act." 
SECTION 2. Law school clinical programs on elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. - 
The Secretary of Justice shall make grants to law school clinical programs for purposes of 
funding the inclusion of cases addressing cases of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, 
including domestic violence, and sexual sexual assault, against older or disabled individuals. 
the Senate and House ojRepresentatives ofthe Philippines in Congress 
Short title. - This Act shall be known as the #"Older Filipinos' Protection 
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SECTION 3. Training programs for law enforcement of$cers. - The Secretary shall 
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develop curricula and   offer, or provide for the offering of, training programs to assist law 
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enforcement officers, prosecutors, and relevant officers of courts in recognizing, addressing, 
investigating, and proskcuting instances of elderly abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including 
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domestic violence and sexual assault, against older or disabled individuals. 
SECTION 4. Support services - 
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(1) The I Secretary, in cooperation and coordination with non-governmental 
organizations and the Department of Social Work and Development shall establish 
domestic violer/ce programs to encourage the development of programs, including 
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outreach, suppch groups, and counseling, targeted to victims of elderly 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 appropriated as 
emergency shoi-term shelters or measures for older or disabled individuals who are the 
abuse, neglect, 
against older or 
victims of elderly abuse, including domestic violence and sexual assault, against older or 
disabled individuals. 
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(2) 
The Secretary shall make grants to nonprofit private organizations to 
support projects in local communities, involving diverse sectors of each community, to 
coordinate actidities concerning intervention in and prevention of elder abuse, neglect, 
and exploitation, including domestic violence, sexual assault, against older or disabled 
individuals. 
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(3) 
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The Secretary shall also make grants to develop and implement outreach 
and exploitation 
(including domestic violence, and sexual assault, 
disabled individuals), including programs directed toward assisting the 


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SECTION 5. Training for health professionals on screening for elder abuse, neglect, 
and exploitation. - i 
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(1) The Secretary 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, clergy1 domestic violence service providers, including senior centers, adult day 
care facilities, nursing homes, board and care facilities, and senior housing, to approve 
their ability to recognize and address instances of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, 
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including dome' tic violence, and sexual assault, against older or disabled individuals. 
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(2) In carrying out paragraph (I), the Secretary shall develop and implement 
separate curricula and training programs for medical students, physicians, physician 
assistants, nursi practitioners, and nurses. 
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- There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
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of this Act. 
SECTION 7. 
epurability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the refnainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, d e  or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent 
with, the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
Section 9. Effectividy Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen days (15) days after its 
publication in at least t$o (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved. 
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FN 2042 
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