THE House of Representatives has approved a bill aiming to expand the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children (VAWC) Act.
House Bill 8420 hurdled third and final reading Wednesday, with 260 lawmakers voting for its passage.
Gabriela Women's Party Rep. Sarah Elago, in a statement posted on Facebook, said that the bill was an important step to amend the law on violence against women and children.
In 2004, then-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, now Pampanga second district representative, signed the Anti-VAWC Act into law.
"But while times change, the form that violence takes also changes. So it is time to strengthen and amend the law to address the worsening online abuse, harassment, and other new forms of abuse against women and children," Elago said.
The bill defines technology-facilitated violence against women and their children. Elago said the bill recognizes unauthorized dissemination of sensitive images and creation of fake accounts as crimes. Sound clips of a sensitive nature are also covered by the bill.
Elago said the bill recognizes online harassment, stalking, and hacking as forms of violence.
The lawmaker said the bill has stricter penalties for violators. She said these include a P500,000 fine and imprisonment.
The bill gives women 20 days of paid leave which, it said, "shall cover the days when" they have to "attend to medical, legal, and other valid concerns related to the pending case."
Under the bill, they are entitled to this benefit during the application of any protection order, investigation, prosecution, and/or trial of the criminal case.
