The economically abused husband who will invoke Nograles’ bill, assuming it is enacted into law, may not recover his hijacked salary from his wife as it may end up as her payment for the fines.

MANILA — Rizal 2nd District Rep. Fidel Nograles shed the notion that gender equality is only women- and children-centric by filing House Bill 4888 on 30 September.

Seeing that Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act (VAWCA) of 2004 discriminates against males because there are also husbands who suffer violence from their wives under a marital relationship gone awry, Nograles sought its amendment by expanding the coverage of the said law from women to “all those who suffer violence from their partners.”

HB 4888 recognizes different kinds of relationships and protects men and members of the LGBT community from violence. Unmarried couples are likewise covered as long as they have “sexual” or “dating” relationship.

According to Nograles, there are about 12 to 15 percent of “abused husbands” in relationships. The bill penalizes acts of violence including but not limited to physical, sexual and economic abuse.

Expounding on economic abuse, Nograles said, “We also have instances of abused husbands who surrender all their salary or ATM card to their wives, and they lose the right to decide on how they will meet their own personal needs.”

Nograles’ measure carries penalties of imprisonment and a fine of not less than P100,000, but not more than P300,000, like in VAWCA. But would such deterrent really help husbands avoid a zero balance in their ATM accounts?

The economically abused husband who will invoke Nograles’ bill, assuming it is enacted into law, may not recover his hijacked salary from his wife as it may end up as her payment for the fines.

Or, it may not be useful after all as by his own admission, Nograles sees the “under the saya” image, finding it too self-incriminating.

“Because of our culture’s macho ego, abused husbands are embarrassed to come out,” the lawmaker said.