Ever heard of battered husbands

"Lalaki ka," he said. "Nakakahiya namang sabihin na binugbog ka ng asawa mo (You're a man. It's a shame to say your wife beat you)."

Written by Claire Delfin for GMA News last 2/13/2008(full story). This article shows how men are left alone in this society whose laws favors women more than men. The story is about a certain Roger, a typical Andres in their household. For the love of his children, he swallowed whole his ego and kept this brutality for himself, even if until this one night that he managed to bring himself to a nearby hospital with blood dripping profusely down his nape from a wound caused by a broken glass thrown at him by no less than his wife.

"We live in a patriarchal, macho society. It is still a common perception that men are stronger than women. So, a man, even if he's a victim of spousal abuse, refuses to let other people know about his situation for fear that society might think of him as a lesser man." -Supt. Filemon Porciuncula, Chief, QCPD Crime Lab

So where will you go if you happen to be in the same shoes as Roger? This is not certainly one that you can just tell your Mom or Yaya about. Issues like this should be reported to the nearest police station or the at least the Barangay Hall. Forget about your dignity, forget about what will they say. You may file for a blotter or better yet file a case immediately. But if again, you are still this typical Roger that you "LOVE" your wife to pieces. Then forget about it. I say this for your security, better late than never. Again, just remember that if your wife files for RA 9262 and you would like to refute it by saying that it's really you she's been hurting. Court will always go back to the records and ask for your medical certificate and a blotter at least.



Is there a law or at least an agency who can protect Roger?



Let me quote again from this article what the spokeperson of Gabriela said about this.

"If men are battered, then like what women did, they should also unite and lobby for a legislation that will protect them from domestic abuses," Gert Libang, spokeperson Gabriela '08

Reality bites. While there are laws citing physical abuse, there is no law specifically covering domestic abuse. We are on our own. Be scared, be very scared.