The Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of a police officer for psychological violence against his then-pregnant girlfriend after he secretly withdrew their application for a marriage license.

In a 29 July 2026 decision penned by Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, the Supreme Court First Division denied the police officer’s petition and affirmed the Court of Appeals ruling finding him guilty of violating Republic Act 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004.

The officer was sentenced to a maximum of two years, four months and one day in prison.

The case stemmed from the officer’s withdrawal of a marriage license application he and his girlfriend, a teacher, had filed. The woman later learned from the local civil registrar that the application had been withdrawn.

The Supreme Court said RA 9262 focuses on the mental or emotional toll of an offender’s actions on a woman with whom he has a sexual or dating relationship.

“Since AAA was pregnant and the withdrawal of the marriage application was done ‘arbitrarily’ and ‘publicly’ at the LCR, the act transcends simple heartbreak and enters the realm of ‘psychological violence,’” the Court said.

The prosecution established that the officer withdrew the application without notifying his girlfriend after making a public commitment to marry her, causing her emotional anguish.

The officer argued that a breach of a promise to marry is not an actionable wrong. He also claimed he never consented to the marriage application and had merely withdrawn his birth certificate from the local civil registrar.

He further argued that his conviction improperly expanded the scope of RA 9262 by penalizing painful consequences arising from the end of a relationship rather than abusive conduct.

The Supreme Court rejected his arguments and found no error in the appellate court’s decision.

Aside from imprisonment, the officer was ordered to pay a P100,000 fine and P150,000 in moral and exemplary damages to the victim. He was also ordered to undergo mandatory psychological counseling.