, 
THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
’ 
OF THE PHILIPPINElS 
) 
First Regular Session 
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U 
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SENA 
S.B. NO. 
Introduced bv Senator LUISA “LOI” P. EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 11 provides: 
“The State values the 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 fiom 
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. 
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Immediate approval of this bill is earnestly recommended. 
LUISA “LOI” P h J E  CITO ESTRADA 
Senator 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
”04 juN 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
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Introduced bv Senator LUISA “LOI” P. 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 OUTmACH EFFORTS AND OTHER 
SERVICES AVAILABLE TO OLDER OR DISABLED PERSONS VICTIMIZED 
BY SUCH VIOLENCE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the 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 clinicalprograms on elder abzrse, 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 Oflicers. - The Secretary of 
Justice, in consultation with the Secretary of Social Welfare and Development and non- 
governmental 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. 
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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. 
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. 
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. 
For purposes of this section, the term “domestic violence” means an act or 
threat of violence not including an act of self defense, committed: 
(1) 
(2) 
(3) 
(4) 
(5) 
(b) 
(c) 
(d) 
by a current or former spouse of the victim; 
by a person related by blood or marriage to the victim; 
by a person who is cohabiting with or has cohabited with the victim; 
by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common; 
by a person who is or has been in the social relationship of a romantic 
’ or intimate nature with the victim; or 
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(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. 
In carrying out paragraph (a), the Secretary in consultation with the 
Department of Health, and Commission on Higher Education shall develop 
(b) 
and implement separate curricula and training programs for medical 
students, physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and nurses. 
SEC. 6. Fzinding. - 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. 
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SEC. 8. Repeazing 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 fiReen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
G T/L/precy disk 2yellow/disabled 
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