IT’s now the turn of the males to cry for gender equality before the law when only the females, including the children, are being given “special focus” under R. A. No. 9262, a law preventing or punishing violence against women and children (VAWC). The sentiment resonated during the Forum on Men in Support To Ending Violence Against Women and Children held at Bohol Cultural Center, this city, spearheaded by the provincial government through Human Resource Management and Development Office (HRMDO). The forum attended by Capitol men only was aimed at apprising them on their role in ending or preventing VAWC. VAWC law was passed by Congress to further prevent domestic violence against the weaker women and vulnerable children in recent years. Reported or documented rape and related cases are posted high five years ago and declining a little bit in the last two years, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Reymoses Cabagnot said.

VAWC seemed to be unfair to men because there’s no law that also protects them from similar abuse or violence perpetrated by females or their spouses. It is rarely reported that there are also wives battering their husbands in a lot of ways, said an employee. Women and children are not the only preys of domestic violence, men, too, he said. He added only that VAWC is commonplace. Asked by one of the male employees if there’s a similar law for men, Provincial Legal Officer John Mitchell Boiser said as a lawyer, he was informed that some congressmen are contemplating to craft similar measure to counter or amend the VAWC law. Provincial Board Member Abeleon Damalerio, who represented Gov. Edgar Chatto, and Dr. Greg Sodusta of Provincial Health Officealso, attended the forum.

Boiser quoted the law that defines VAWC as “referring to any act or a series of acts committed by any person against a woman who is his wife, former wife, or against a woman with whom the person has or had a sexual or dating relationship, or with whom he has a common child, or against her child whether legitimate or illegitimate, within or without the family abode, which result in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological harm or suffering, or economic abuse including threats of such acts, battery, assault, coercion, harassment or arbitrary deprivation of liberty.” The acts of violence also include: physical, sexual, psychological and economic. All these acts are punishable by this law and other applicable laws, such as the Revised Penal Code.