Paulit-ulit na pagtataksil ni mister, puwedeng may kulong at multa

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | Pebrero 2, 2024

Dear Chief Acosta,

Bago pa man ako umalis ng Pilipinas para magtrabaho, ilang beses nang nagtaksil sa akin ang aking asawa. Paulit-ulit ko siyang pinatawad sa pag-aakalang magbabago siya. Ngunit habang nandito ako sa ibang bansa, nalaman kong may karelasyon na naman siyang iba.  Nang kumprontahin ko siya, itinanggi lang niya lahat ito. Nadurog ang puso ko nang sumunod kong nalaman na may kinakasama na siyang iba, at mas malala pa, buntis na ang kanyang kinakasama. Ang sakit-sakit ng ginawa ng aking asawa. Ang pagtataksil ba ng aking asawa ay maituturing na karahasan?  -- Ciara

Dear Ciara,

Para sa iyong kaalaman, sa kasong XXX vs. People of the Philippines, G.R. No. 250219, 01 Marso 2023, pinasyahan ng ating Korte Suprema, sa pamamagitan ng panulat ni Honorable Associate Justice Ramon Paul L. Hernando, ang mga sumusunod: 

“The elements of a violation of Sec. 5(i) of RA 9262 are as follows:

1. The offended party is a woman and/or her child or children;

2. The woman is either the wife or former wife of the offender, or is a woman with whom the offender has or had a sexual or dating relationship, or is a woman with whom such offender has a common child. As for the woman’s child or children, they may be legitimate or illegitimate, or living within or without the family abode;

3. The offender causes on the woman and/or child mental or emotional anguish; and

4. The anguish is caused through acts of public ridicule or humiliation, repeated verbal and emotional abuse, denial of financial support or custody of minor children or access to the children or similar to such acts or omissions.

The Court in Reyes v. People, elucidated that conviction under Sec. 5(i) of RA 9262 requires proof of the indispensable elements of (1) psychological violence as the means employed by the perpetrator consisting of any acts enumerated in Sec. 5(i) or similar acts, and (2) the mental or emotional suffering or damage sustained by the offended party. Further, it has been stressed that “the law does not require proof that the victim become psychologically ill due to the psychological violence done by her abuser.

Rather, the law only requires emotional anguish and mental suffering to be proven. To establish emotional anguish or mental suffering, jurisprudence only requires that [the victim testify in court and narrate such experiences].

x x x

The testimonies of AAA and BBB clearly established the presence of the third and fourth elements, i.e., the offender causing on the woman and/or child mental or emotional anguish through acts of public ridicule or humiliation, repeated verbal and emotional abuse, denial of financial support or custody of minor children, or access to the children, or similar to such acts or omissions.

x x x

Marital infidelity is one of the forms of psychological violence. The prosecution in this case was able to satisfactorily establish petitioner’s marital infidelity, his cohabitation with CCC who even bore him a child, and his abandonment of AAA. BBB’s psychological trauma was evident when she wept in open court upon being asked to narrate petitioner’s infidelity. In particular, BBB explained that she was deeply hurt because her father had another family and loved another woman other than her mother, BBB.” 

Ayon sa kasong nabanggit, ang marital infidelity o ang pagtataksil ng iyong asawa ay maaaring ituring na isang psychological violence sa ilalim ng Republic Act No. 9262 o “Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004”.  Sa ganitong sitwasyon, maaaring makasuhan ang iyong asawang lalaki ng paglabag sa nasabing batas kung mapatutunayang siya ay nagdulot sa iyo at/o sa inyong anak ng mental or emotional anguish o pagdadalamhati dahil sa paulit-ulit na pang-aabuso sa salita at emosyon kaugnay ng kanyang pagtataksil, o sa mga katulad na gawain o pagkukulang. Dahil dito, kapag napatunayang nagkasala ang iyong asawa ay maparurusahan siya ng pagkakulong at mapagbabayad pa ng multa.

Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang iyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa mga impormasyon na iyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng iyong salaysay.

Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.