Netizen: Is elderly abuse a crime in the Philippines?
Response: Rep. Paolo Duterte, with co-authors Eric Yap and Edvic Yap concocted House Bill 4696 ensuring the protection of every senior citizen from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, and coercion. In this bill, they sought the establishment of senior citizen help desks in every barangay to provide immediate assistance to victim-survivors of elder abuse.
According to Zaldy de Loyola and I quote: "Acts of violence against senior citizens include physical abuse or infliction of pain or injury with the use of physical force resulting in bodily injury, physical harm, pain or impairment, suffering or distress; and psychological, mental or emotional abuse causing mental or emotional suffering or distress, according to the bill.
Material exploitation through illegal or improper use of funds or resources of the senior citizen, and economic or financial abuse through acts that make the senior citizen financially dependent are also classified as acts of violence against the elderly.
The minimum punishment under the bill is arresto mayor or from one month and one day to six months imprisonment for acts of violence against the elderly resulting in slight physical injuries.
For serious physical injuries, the bill provides the punishment is prision mayor or from six months and one day to six years imprisonment. Less physical injuries are punishable by prision correccional (six months and one day to six years).
Statistics shown by The Commission on Philippine Human Rights documented a total of 760 human rights violation cases involving victim aged 60 and above. Elderly abuse reported by the general public, states that adult children are the main perpetrators.
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