A proposed bill expanding the coverage of the Violence Against Women and Their Children (VAWC) Act of 2004 will add economic abuse as one of its provisions – and wives who hold hostage their husbands’ salaries and ATM cards could be held liable for it.

The House Bill No. 4888 — filed by Rizal 2nd District. Rep. Fidel Nograles — seeks to amend and expand VAWC law to include husbands and LGBTQIA+ partners.

“Economic abuse is making your partner financially dependent on you and he/she is losing the right to decide on how he/she should fend for him/her needs,” said Nograles. “A classic example of this is seizing a partner’s ATM card, all salaries, then depriving him/her of the chance to choose or decide on his/her own spending.”

Nograles added that he wants to “mainstream gender equality” and make protection “inclusive” as he seeks to pursue the proposed measure into law.

“In this age, not only women and their children have needs,” said Nograles, adding that the existing VAWC only includes women and children, but studies would show that 12 to 15 percent of relationships are afflicted with abused husbands.

“The trend of this is increasing and because of our macho ego culture, abused husbands are embarrassed to come out in the open,” said Nograles. “We also have instances of abused husbands giving up all their salaries and ATM cards to their wives and they lose the right to decide on how to take care of their own needs.”