FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
- 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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S E N A T E  
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Senate Bill No. 5 4 3 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 11 provides: 
“The State values the dignity of every human person 
and guaranfees 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 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
1 
7 &I- -2 
PG ‘ ‘. 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
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 domestic 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. - The Secretary of Social Welfare and 
Development, in cooperation 
and 
coordination with 
non-governmental 
organizations shall: 
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 victim 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 Chuse. - This Act shall take effect fifeen (15) days after 
its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,